Your World Tonight - NBA betting scandal, Alberta teachers, World Series preps, and more

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

Pro sports, the mafia, poker, and game fixing. Police in the U.S. have arrested dozens of people — including current and former NBA players — in an illegal gambling racket that spans years, states, and could change sports gambling forever.And: Alberta prepares to order striking teachers back to work. About 750,000 students have been out of their classrooms for more than two weeks.Also: The World Series comes to town. Toronto prepares for thousands of visitors one day before the championship series begins.Plus: Diwali fireworks contribute to Delhi smog, Conservative MP launches tour of campuses to listen to young men, bail reform details, and more.

This ascent isn't for everyone. You need grit to climb this high this often. You've got to be an underdog that always over-delivers. You've got to be 6,500 hospital staff, 1,000 doctors, all doing so much with so little. You've got to be Scarborough. Defined by our uphill battle and always striving towards new heights. And you can help us keep climbing.

Donate at lovescarbro.cairbo. This is a CBC podcast. These defendants perpetrated a scheme to defraud by betting on inside non-public information about NBA athletes and teams. They're used to being on court. Their next appearance could be in court. NBA players, a current head coach

and Hall of Famer, facing serious allegations of fraud, and corruption, casting a shadow over the league and the deepening ties between gambling and pro sports. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Thursday, October 23rd, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. We know that this is, that this strike is causing harm to kids. We know it's causing harm to teachers since there isn't a strike fund,

and we want to be able to end it. Back to Work legislation in Alberta to get students back to school. school. With a province-wide teacher strike in its third week and negotiations stalled, Premier Daniel Smith says it's time for the labor dispute to end. The NBA season is just a few days old, but some basketball careers have already been sidelined, not for injury, but for integrity. A head coach and a former Toronto Raptor are among dozens of people swept up in a massive FBI probe. As Philip Lee-Shanock explains,

the case could have major consequences for the NBA and other leagues embracing the big money of sports betting. Across a wide-sweeping criminal enterprise that envelops both the NBA and La Casinostra. FBI director Kash Patel says members of known mafia families and some well-known pro-basketball figures are among the more than 30 people arrested across 11 states. including Miami Heat Guard, Terry Rosier and Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups.

We're talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery. One part of the indictment involves an alleged insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about NBA athletes and teams. Any time that you hear the head of the FBI mentioned the NBA and the American mafia in the same sentence, you know it's going to be a pretty bad day for. for the league. Joe Varden is senior NBA writer with The Athletic. He says some charges are connected to a case involving former Toronto Raptor, Jonte Porter, who was convicted of gambling charges involving two games in 2024. Porter that is going to stop. Varden says allegations against Porter

of manipulating profits, where people are wagering on a player's performance on online betting platforms are understandable. Because of their financial situations and sort of their situations in life, they might be more vulnerable to something like this. Someone at the level of Terry Rozier shouldn't be. As the NBA season tips off, his career is already benched. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch says while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier allegedly told co-conspirators he planned to underperform, in one case faking an injury to make sure their bets paid out.

The proceeds were later delivered to his home where the group counted their cash. Rob Pazola is a Toronto-based professional sports better and CEO of Hammer-Betting Time Network. He says now that it's mainstream, the scale and visibility of sports betting has exploded. You look at the menu of bets that you can make nowadays. You have props. You have same-game parlays. So that creates more opportunity for manipulation. But he says there's more regulation and scrutiny as the FBI charges prove. In a separate indictment, it's also alleged Billups was involved in rigging high-stakes poker games run by the model.

Former New York prosecutor Mitchell Eppner says he's not surprised. If there is a way to make money and it requires ingenuity, you should not underestimate the five families. In a statement, the NBA said Rosier and Billups have been immediately placed on leave while they await their day in court. Philip Hennock, CBC News, Toronto. Alberta's Premier could be taking a gamble with her plan to end the province's two-and-a-half-week-old teacher strike. The Daniel Smith government confirms it will table back-to-work legislation next week. The order, part of a list of priorities Smith, is outlining in today's throne speech. Erin Collins has more from Calgary.

A convoy of school buses on its way from Calgary to Edmonton, teachers heading to a rally outside the provincial legislature. I'm here to support public education and support our students. We've got 27 buses going up to support public education. On the legislature grounds growing frustration as the fall sitting begins with a teacher's strike well into its third week. Negotiations stalled as teachers look for higher wages and relief in increasingly crowded and complex classrooms.

I don't think they're listening to Albertans. I think Albertans are being pretty clear about how they feel and that they want more funding and they want to see some real solutions. Inside the legislature, Premier Danielle Smith says back to work, legislation is coming Monday. We know that this is, that this strike is causing harm to kids. We know it's causing harm to teachers since there isn't a strike fund, and we want to be able to end it.

But questions remain about what will happen after teachers are forced back to work. And that's all the time we have for questions today. Thank you everybody very much. Are there any meetings scheduled? Premier, when are school going to open? Parents all want to know that. The speech from the throne only touches on education. focused instead on Alberta's sovereignty and the economy,

a risk, according to some political watchers. Albertans support teachers. They support education. They want investment in education. Lori Williams is a professor of political science at Mount Royal University. They're fighting for Alberta's interests against Ottawa to sort of detract attention from the problems that are occurring within the province. That federal focus apparent, even as the voices demanding change in Alberta's education system, get louder.

And, Aaron, that focus on the federal government is on display in the very first bill tabled by the government today. Yeah, that's right, Susan. Bill one for this sitting, the International Agreements Act. So it's essentially a bill that says the province will have to okay any international treaties signed by the federal government that infringe on provincial jurisdiction. So it's not clear where the push for this kind of legislation came from. Provincial officials struggled to come up with an example of the kind of agreement it would be used to counter. And this, of course, coming as thousands of people were rallying outside the legislature as this teacher strike continues. And nearly three quarters of a million kids remain out of school for a third week. Erin, thank you.

You bet. The CBC's Aaron Collins in Calgary. CBC News has learned the federal government is targeting two options. automakers that have cut production in Canada. Ottawa will limit the number of tariff-free vehicles Stellantis and General Motors can bring into the country from the U.S. In April, Ottawa exempted auto companies from its 25% retaliatory tariffs

as long as they continued making vehicles in Canada. GM recently announced it would stop production of one of its made-in-Canada vehicles because of low sales. Stellantis is moving production of one of its vehicles from Canada to the U.S. because of tariff pressure. Coming right up, the liberal government's proposed changes

to the criminal code for tougher bail and sentencing laws and why one conservative MP thinks young men are in crisis and how he's trying to connect with them. Later, we'll have this story. The blasts from firecrackers have rung out for days in Mumbai

as India celebrates Diwali In the capital Delhi, the bursts have brought on an intense layer of toxic smog, kick-starting the city's pollution season. Various, very toxic chemicals are there when they are bursted. I'm Salima Shivji, and I'll have more on how Diwali's firecracker tradition is contributing to Delhi's already dire pollution problems. Coming up on your world tonight. The Carney government is reviewed.

revealing more details about its legislation aimed at getting tough on crime and making sure some offenders stay locked up. The move comes as the liberals face pressure from the opposition and other groups to address a rise in violent crime. Marina von Stalkleberg reports. We miss her so terribly much. Yeah, we miss her. Michelle Best's daughter, Kelly, was killed in January by an alleged impaired driver.

He was out on bail when police say he's. stole a pickup truck and crashed into Kelly's vehicle on a southern Manitoba highway. It has shattered our family. The man was charged, then let out again on bail. Within days, he broke his conditions. He's now back in jail awaiting trial. This was a very dangerous person, and we don't know. He could have easily stolen another vehicle, been behind the wheel, and we don't know.

Best will be in Ottawa next week when MPs begin to study new legislation table today, aimed at getting tougher on crime. Justice Minister Sean Fraser. This is a package of sweeping reforms that includes more than 80 targeted measures that will make bail laws stricter and sentencing tougher, in particular for violent and repeat offenders. Those changes would make it harder for someone charged with serious crimes to get bail. The onus would increasingly be on the accused to prove why they should be released from jail. Police and courts would also need to consider if the person, person was accused of random or unprovoked violence before letting them out.

We are going to change the criminal law to ensure that the bail system is not viewed as some get-out-a-jail-free car. Conservative leader Pierpauliev says the reforms don't go far enough. If you are a rampant offender and you're newly arrested, it should be presumed that you're automatically staying behind bars until either you are acquitted or your sentence is complete. But civil liberties groups say the legislation, will violate the constitutional right to bail and disregard the basic principle that someone is innocent until proven guilty.

Criminal defense lawyer Lawrence Greenspon. While the government tables this bill which panders to the people who understandably wants some solution to crime, while it panders to those people, it completely ignores the existing problem, which is that you have a whole bunch of presumed innocent people already in jail to the extent that there's three or four of

them in a cell, and that's only going to be made worse. The changes will also get tougher on convicted criminals. The bill ends house arrest for people found guilty of serious sexual assault. Repeat and violent offenders found guilty of crimes like break and enter or arson would have to serve consecutive sentences. It's got to stop somewhere. Michelle Best says she doesn't want people locked up for life. She just wants police and courts to have more power to protect people like her daughter.

Marina von Stackleberg, CBC News, Ottawa. A conservative MP is launching a new campaign to engage with young men. Jamil Giovanni says the demographic is in trouble and much like the late American activist Charlie Kirk. Giovanni is visiting university campuses to reach young voters and start a national conversation. Kate McKenna has more. Inside the classrooms of Canadian campuses,

one conservative MP is trying to build a movement. We had a busy week last week. We visited four university campuses in southern Ontario. Ontario MP Jamil Giovanni launched his Restore the North Tour this month, aimed at young men. A demographic he says is in crisis, overrepresented in crime, drug, and homelessness statistics. His events are part rally, part recruitment drive, and part debate.

You see, there's this idea that campuses are these dens of wokeness But the reality is that university students can be really, really thoughtful. CBC News was allowed to attend a campus event at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, but not record. About 50 people, mostly men, filled a classroom asking Giovanni and two other conservative MPs questions, no matter how taboo. It was a similar format to another conservative credited with building a youth movement, slain U.S. activist Charlie Kirk. So I'm not here to, like, insult your grandpa, right? Before his assassination, Kirk's campus events drew thousands. And though his comments on race and religion attracted heavy criticism,

he's credited with growing the MAGA movement, in part due to his push for free speech on campuses. I think young men are kind of being abandoned in the education system. I think that we're being told that we shouldn't be welcome in certain spaces. Brock University student Brady Burns traveled to attend Giovanni's event, telling the MP he feels students with right-wing ideas aren't given a fair shake in universities. Giovanni was sympathetic.

I think it was a good response. It was he got right down to kind of what I was asking. 20-year-old Stefano Pichani says he was motivated to go to his first ever political event because of concerns over his ability to get ahead. I think it's a big disservice to the people of this country when you import labor. Pissioni is calling for a crackdown on immigration, telling Giovanni he believes the volume.

of immigrants is making it harder for him to find a job. I couldn't find part-time work. I will walk into importance. People who I could barely communicate with are saying, no, we're not hiring. Young men are kind of falling behind. Conservative strategist Ginny Roth says it's possible there will be people turned off by a tour focusing on young men as opposed to other equity-seeking groups.

I don't think really strong political leadership I don't think can happen without taking on some risk. She says it's a risk worth taking, especially as polls show more young men are supporting the Conservative Party than they have in decades. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Ottawa. Vice President J.D. Vance says the Israeli government's vote to apply its laws to the occupied West Bank does not match U.S. policy. The vote was the first of four that would be needed to pass the law. Vance was in Israel to consult on the progress of the ceasefire. He says he's not happy about Parliament's vote.

I mean, what I would say to that is when I asked about it, somebody told me that it was a political stunt, that it had no practical significance. It was purely symbolic. I mean, look, if it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it, the West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. President Donald Trump has said Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if it annexed the West Bank. The European Union is following the U.S. by imposing more sanctions on Russia. The goal is to cut off revenue and supplies, fueling Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Russian oil industry yesterday. Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelenskyy says Kiev should be able to use Russia's frozen assets to make weapons domestically and buy European and U.S. weapons. We need to use any kind of Russian money.

for Ukrainian production and increase it. It's cheaper and quicker. And we speak, first of all, about long range. It's about drones. It's about electronic warfare, systems of electronic warfare, and it's about missiles. Zelensky said the sanctions send a clear signal for Moscow to end the war. Russian officials have dismissed the sanctions as ineffective.

Diwali is a time of celebration in India and around the world, but the way the festival of lights is celebrated has a dark side, air pollution. In India's dense and polluted cities, night after night of celebratory fireworks creates a smoky, toxic hangover that authorities just can't stop. South Asia correspondent Salima Shivji reports. For days in Mumbai, it's been a constant barrage of loud blasts and flares. Thousands of firecrackers set off to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light.

Kirtana sitting and enjoying the display says it's a must this time of year. Especially on Diwali day, without crackers, we cannot enjoy the Diwali. But that has consequences. Mumbai's air quality is dismal, and it's much worse further north in Delhi, consistently one of the world's most polluted capital cities, where Diwali season has already pushed the air quality index, which measures fine particulate matter in the air that can clog lungs and cause a host of diseases to more than 500. That's 10 times higher than what's deemed safe by the World Health Organization. Our air is kind of heavier over here. Uday Pratap Singh is a software engineer visiting Delhi from Good.

drop. It's like a kind of a cruelty on humankind that they are not trying to manage the pollution. It's an issue the government has tried to tackle. The sale of firecrackers in the capital region during Diwali was banned in 2020 because of the dangerous toxins they emit. But this year, the Supreme Court allowed the regional government to relax that ban. The court ruled that green crackers, which are meant to be more environmentally friendly, were fine if lit during a certain time window. A balance, the ruling said, between tradition and the environment. But once the Vali celebrations began, the time restrictions were widely ignored. And nobody knows how many traditional firecrackers full of toxic heavy metals and other

pollutants are being used. One former government official lashed out on social media, saying India's Supreme Court has prioritized the right to burn crackers over the right to live and breathe. The cream cracker, I don't say that emission is zero, no, but it is reduced. Mukesh Kare with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, says the court order should have been coupled with a campaign to explain the move to the public. Lack of awareness, lack of education, lack of preparation. These are three important factors which makes this decision fail. It's also far from the only factor contributing to Delhi's pollution problems.

Come winter, the city is beset by a perfect storm of viewing. vehicle emissions, dust, and smoke from stubble burning fires in neighboring states, where farmers illegally set their fields alight to clear them. All of that toxic smog is then trapped over the capital by cooler air and low winds. And for many like street vendor Bunti Kumar, there's no hope Delhi's air will get better. Every year it's the same, he says. It doesn't matter what rules are in place. We can't breathe.

Salima Shivjee, CBC News, Mumbai. Summer may be behind us, but much of the country is still struggling through drought. For many Canadians, wells have run dry and they are scrambling for new ways to get water. As Selena Alders reports, with winter closing in, it will get even harder. We've never been out this long, and I know, you know, we're not the only ones. Tagan Rawlings and her family haven't had running water at their home in Muscadob at Harbor, Nova Scotia, in nearly three months. She checks the levels in her dug well nearly every day, only to be met with disappointment. We're just below five inches.

The well on her property, which can hold up to five feet of water, holds only a mere five inches. That's because, according to the Canadian drought monitor, Atlantic Canada and parts of nearly every province have been met with extreme drought conditions. John Pomeroy is a professor with the University of Saskatchewan and director, of the global water futures observatories. It really has become a national disaster for Canada that's stuck up on us. He says Canada needs to implement a national drought and flood prediction system. This will allow local governments to ensure they have the proper infrastructure in place. In the meantime, Rowling's family has been relying on a nearby community well as their main water supply.

I don't know what we would have done without it. I really don't. But this solar-powered well was only meant to be a small community project, a backup water source for residents in case of emergencies or short-term power outages. Instead, it's become a lifeline for many, having pumped almost 30,000 gallons of water since it opened back in August. Karen Bradley is one of the people behind the community well, which draws from an underground reservoir.

It has superseded all of its expectations. all of our expectations for it over the last three months, and it's pretty amazing. But it's not equipped to run during the colder months and will soon have to shut down. This leaves residents like Rawlings worried for what the winter will hold. Our big concern is that we won't get the amount of rainfall that we will need to bring our well back to any kind of normal

before the ground freezes. Experts say it will take a significant, amount of rain to recharge the water table, and the next few weeks will be critical. Selina Alders, CBC News, Muscadobit Harbor, Nova Scotia. 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.

One of the biggest spectacles in North American sport has arrived in Toronto. The city is gearing up for the World Series. Game one between the Blue Jays and the L.A. Dodgers is tomorrow night. Thousands of visitors are expected. And from managing traffic to pop-up parties, city officials say they're ready to go. Cheyenne Desjardin has that story. It is going to be a pretty electric atmosphere here tomorrow. Just one day before the Blue Jays perform on big,

Baseball's biggest stage, manager John Schneider says it'll be a battle between the two best teams left standing. There's a lot of first for a lot of these guys, myself included, staff included. We'll say it till the day I die. I'll put this group of 26 up against anybody, and they're looking forward to taking on what is on paper the best team in baseball. And I don't think they'd have it any other way. Blue Jays win it. The Blue Jays are World Series champions. Toronto famously won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 93.

Some speculated half a million people flooded the streets after those winds. But it's been more than 30 years since then. And Toronto spokesperson Eric Holmes says the city is ready. We are no stranger to big events, big concerts, big shows. Downtown Toronto is rarely described as quiet. But one could say this is the calm before the storm. Toronto is planning on thousands and thousands of visitors. Watch parties scattered all over.

A massive one expected in Nathan Phillips, We've got to be ready to manage that, manage those number of people. You know, there are lots of ways to get in and around the city. Pick a way that's maybe not driving. Plan your route, plan ahead, and get on down here. The Toronto Police Service didn't delve into its exact plans, but says it is increasing police presence both inside and outside the stadium, reminding people to expect road closures, allow extra time, stay aware,

and of course, taking to social media, joining in on the Jay's craze themselves. Let's go, Jay! Gladdy, keep the MVP alive. Don't drop the ball. You're out. Excitement at the Rogers Center is building too. Crews are putting the finishing touches on the field. Prime Minister Mark Carney stopped by for practice.

We're going to fight hard, and that's why we're going to win at 6. But despite the spectacle, player Miles Strauss, he's just ready to play ball. At the end of the day, we're playing a kid's game. We're playing the game we played all year long, so nothing's changed. It's going to be a little bit louder, a little bit more. you know, the lights will be a little bit brighter, but other than that, go out there and just keep having fun, that's it.

Comes to three, two, he got him! If this is the energy when the Jays simply clench a World Series spot, stealing the title could be otherworldly. Of course, the team now facing one of their biggest challenges, defending champions, Los Angeles Dodgers. Shia de Jardin, CBC News, Toronto. We end tonight on the streets of London. with a UK woman fined for tossing her coffee on the street.

Not the cup. What was inside it? And I thought it would be ideal to get rid of the leftover coffee before I bought on the bus. Bourgeois Yassilier thought she was doing the right thing. Worried about spilling the last bit of her coffee on the bus, she dumped it down a sewer drain. Then she was stopped by three enforcement officers.

It was quite intimidating. In fact, after what happened, what happened, I felt quite shaky. It was a bit too much. The officers told her she had just broken the law. Section 33 of the British Environmental Protection Act makes it an offence to dispose of wastewater that could pollute land or water, including putting liquids into street drains. Yes, Hilliard was told she should have poured the coffee into a trash bin

and was fined 150 pounds or about $280. Queue the outrage. Liquid in a bin would be better than pouring it onto the street. It just seems so ridiculously heavy-handed. I mean, police state. Appalling. They displayed no common sense towards this woman, who is otherwise a perfectly law-abiding citizen.

For commentators in the media and online, the incident was proof Britain was going mad, a nanny state with rules that don't bank any sense. It didn't take long for authority. to react. While the local council said the fine was justified and the officers did act appropriately, it agreed to cancel the fine and said it's reviewing the rules around the disposal of liquids on city streets. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Thursday, October 23rd. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

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