Your World Tonight - Poilievre on his leadership, Epstein emails, Canadian tourists avoid U.S., and more

Episode Date: November 12, 2025

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took questions today for the first time since losing two MPs. And he said he has no plans to change his leadership style. He says he’s the only leader trying to make life affordable for Canadians.And: Donald Trump "knew about the girls.” That’s one of the comments in emails released from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In messages to his friend Ghislaine Maxwell and to author Michael Wolff, Epstein seems to suggest Trump was more aware of his illegal activities than was previously known.Also: International tourism to the U.S. is down from last year—to the tune of nearly $5.7 billion US. Much of that is because Canadians don’t want to go there anymore.Plus: Refugee claims surge, vacationers tossed out of hotel rooms amid bankruptcy, court approves Ontario plan to expand gambling, and more.

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Join us. Because kids these days, we need you more than ever. Donate at GeoFoundation.com. This is a CBC podcast. My wife's plan is to continue to lead to be the only leader in the country that's fighting for an affordable Canada where our people who work hard can afford a home and food. That is my agenda. A floor crossing doesn't mean soul searching for Pierre Pauliev.

The conservative leader is staying firm after losing two-em. focused on confronting the liberal government and not considering changes to his leadership style. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, November 12th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong. And what President Trump has always said is that he was from Palm Beach and so was Jeffrey Epstein. The White House trying to distance Donald Trump from Jeffrey Epstein. Christine's victims, as new emails suggest the U.S. President spent hours with one at the home of the convicted sex offender. Also, there was perceived to be labor market shortages, and we're like, okay, bring everybody in, and then now it's like, okay, get out.

Newcomers to Canada trying to stay but getting caught in the middle of shifting immigration targets. It's the first we've heard from Pierre Pauliard. since two conservative MPs sent messages of their own. After one floor crossing and one resignation, Pauliev is pushing back on criticism of the way he's leading the party and how that could be to blame for its recent struggles. Olivia Stefanovic reports. Have you maybe reflected on your leadership style moving forward?

No, my plan is to continue to lead to be the only leader in the country that's fighting for an affordable candidate, Conservative leader Pierre Pollyev makes no apologies for his leadership. Instead, he used the words of the MP who crossed the floor to defend it. And I will just quote Mr. Dantraman when he speaks about Mark Hardy. Pauliev read four times from an anti-liberal statement, Chris Dantraman made just two months before the Nova Scotia MP left the conservative benches for the liberals. And I quote, since I first elected here in 2019, the cost of living has skyrocketed.

In an interview with CBC News, Dantramal said he crossed the floor last week on budget day because of Pollyev's leadership. Quite honestly, a lot of times I felt it was a part of a frat house rather than a serious political party. When that was put to Pollyev, the conservative leader again referred back to Dantramas's previous statement. Where he said that liberal food price inflation was inhumane. And you know what? He's right. He also accused the media of favoring liberals by ignoring criticism of the federal budget by a liberal MP. I know you'll be, you're camped outside his office right now, waiting to get comment from him. Polyev pushing back after a week where he saw his caucus shrink by two amid increasing questions about his leadership. He believes that he doesn't need to change anything about the way he leads or the way he approaches his job as leader of the opposition and leader of the conservative party.

and to some extent, he may be right. David Coletto is the CEO of Abacus Data. The pollster says public support for Pollyev has hit a ceiling, but among conservatives, it's still strong. The risk is, you know, if you replace him with somebody else, they may be able to open new eyes and ears to the conservatives, but do you lose some of those supporters who are attracted to them? And that's the dilemma that conservatives are facing right now.

Don Tremal responded to Pollyev's remarks in a statement, calling the conservative leaders' comments spin and claiming they prove his point about Polyev's leadership. The party will vote on whether they still support Pauliev's style when he faces a leadership review in January. Olivia Estevanovich, CBC News, Ottawa. According to Donald Trump, they were just casual acquaintances. But it's getting harder for the U.S. President

to explain his ties to convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. New emails suggest Trump was aware of Epstein's sex trafficking of young victims and that he even spent time with one of them. Katie Simpson has the latest from Washington. This is truly a manufactured hoax by the Democrat Party. On the attack, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt defending the president, as his name is again linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Donald Trump referenced several times within 23,000 people.

pages of documents provided by Epstein's estate to a congressional committee, which were made public today. These emails prove absolutely nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong. Democrats highlighted what they saw as damning exchanges, including an apparent email Epstein wrote about Trump to journalist Michael Wolfe saying, of course he knew about the girls, as he asked Galane to stop. Another allegedly written by Epstein to his co-conspirator Galane Maxwell says, the dog that hasn't barked is Trump and that Trump spent hours at Epstein's house with a victim, later identified as Virginia

Joufrey, who died by suicide earlier this year. She maintained that there was nothing inappropriate she ever witnessed that President Trump was always extremely professional and friendly to her. Trump and Epstein were friends until they had a falling out in the early 2000s before Epstein was charged with sex offenses the first time. For months now, the White House has failed to stop

the damaging drips of information, giving Democrats, including Congressman Robert Garcia, a deeply personal line of attack. The president right now today could release the Epstein files and fulfill his campaign promise, but he refuses to do so, and we believe this is a White House cover-up. The White House is fighting this challenge on multiple fronts. As a petition in Congress now has enough signatures to force a vote to compel the federal government to release all Epstein files. Justice cannot wait.

another day. Adelita Grahalva was sworn in today as a new member of Congress, and she represents the 218th signature on that petition, the last one needed. A handful of Republicans also signed on despite an intense pressure campaign from the White House that included emergency interventions in the situation room. The vote in the House won't come up until early December, and if it passes, it would also need to be passed by the Senate before any sort of legislation reaches Trump's desk, and he could use veto power to stop it. But this forces lawmakers to be on the record about where they stand on releasing Epstein files and ensures this issue isn't going away. Katie Simpson, CBC News, Washington.

Coming right up, Canada is allowing fewer immigrants into the country, a shift that's causing big problems for some who are already here. And Ontario is hoping to cash in after winning a legal fight to expand online gambling. Later, we'll have this story. Some Canadians are taking the trade war personally. I have no intention of going down there. As elbows go up, trips to the U.S. are down. We've missed them.

We've noticed the difference, and we've missed them. I'm Nisha Patel in Toronto. What American businesses are doing to lure Canadian tourists back. That's coming up on Your World Tonight. As Canada continues to tighten its immigration targets, new data suggests the policy shift is starting to have a big impact. Temporary workers and students who desperately want to stay in the country are now being forced to make tough decisions. Halina Mahalek explains. So I bought a house as well, so that hit me so hard.

Sabaya is a software developer working in Saskatoon. He's just finished two years of Canadian work experience, a milestone. that should have opened the door to permanent residency. Now, because of recent changes to the federal immigration policy, he's left questioning the future he dreamed of. So we just wanted to focus upon our future. So we just explain other options. If nothing works out, then yes, we had to think about the other opportunities.

Sabaya, who has asked us to protect his identity out of concern for his permanent residency application, is one of many temporary workers in Saskatchewan now caught up by those policy changes. Some are now applying for refugee status, in the hopes of finding a different path to remain in Canada. New data from Statistics Canada shows claims across the province are up 98% between April and June of this year compared to the same period last year, a jump from 680 to more than 1,300. Chris Veman, an immigration lawyer in Saskatoon, says people who come to Canada aren't getting the opportunities they were promised.

Yeah, there certainly was a blip there during. during COVID where there was perceived to be labor market shortages. And we're like, okay, bring everybody in. And then now it's like, okay, get out. Veman says cuts to immigration numbers by the province and the previous federal government that took effect this year are having a swift impact in Saskatchewan. But other provinces are facing a similar situation.

In Manitoba, asylum claims increased by 87%, 57% in Alberta, and 53% in BC. Nationally, the spike was 32%, from just over 300,000 to over 400,000. Veman says asylum claims that were once a last resort are now the only solution for some to keep their job or continue pursuing their education in Canada. This is where fast processing of refugee cases is important because right now, if you made a refugee case today, you would probably not get a hearing for about like a year. and a half. Saskatchewan's deputy immigration minister, Drew Wilby, says the province is

only putting an emphasis on retaining foreign workers in specific sectors. The three key sectors that we've looked at for international recruitment over the course of the last year are health care, no surprise. The skilled trades, as well as the agriculture value ad chain. It's not in my control, obviously. With Sabaya's work permit almost up, he's left worried about where he and his family will go next. Halina Mahalik, CBC News, Saskatoon. Mario is a step closer to winning a big bet to boost its coffers. It won a court case today that will allow international players to participate in online gambling. The change has the potential to bring in a lot more revenue, but with it comes more risk.

Colin Butler reports. Drew Vail Gupta is an online poker player. For him, the decision changes everything. With just Ontario, at least 50% of it. of the player pool, I can recognize right away by their poker handle. So I know right away that, you know, this guy plays like this, this guy plays like this. Personally, I don't see any logical reason to have that restriction. Now he can potentially sit at virtual tables with opponents from around the world, not just from

Windsor to Ottawa. It means bigger games, bigger pots, and bigger prizes, but not everyone's cheering. A coalition of provinces and a First Nation challenged Ontario's approach in court. they argued the system breaks from Canada's cooperative model for gambling regulation and warned it could open the door to chaos between jurisdictions. The court didn't agree. The judges ruled four to one that Ontario can maintain legal control on the domestic side while still allowing international links without the consent of other provinces.

We're extremely pleased with the ruling today. Paul Burns is the president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association. We think this is a good day for the customers, who especially like to play those peer-to-peer games and daily fantasy pooled sports products, peer-to-peer like poker. For players, it's a jackpot, but for critics, it's a risk

because what's good for the customer isn't always good when the customer can't walk away. Of course, when you increase accessibility, in a sense, there's potential for harm. Andrew Kim is a psychology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. He says all those plays players and all that money for some is a temptation too far.

The ease of gambling now, right? So you have a casino in your pocket. All that increases the likelihood that people are going to experience some problems with gambling. It could also be appealed, says Don Bourgeois, a lawyer and an expert in gambling law. I expect it will be appealed, but there may be dynamics at play that say, okay, let's move on. He adds, the decision is open to other provinces, noting Alberta could choose to join. For now, though, gambling in Ontario at least, has undergone a major shift. The game is bigger, the money is bigger, and for some, the gamble is now more dangerous than ever.

Colin Butler, CBC News, London, Ontario. Canada is imposing new sanctions on Russia. We are taking concrete action and sending a clear message, those who are. enable Russia's war will face consequences under Canadian law. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand made the announcement at a G7 meeting in Ontario. The new sanctions target Russia's energy sector and the people behind its drone and cyber attacks on Ukraine. Anan says the sanctions support efforts by the G7 to ramp up economic pressure on Russia.

The tropical waters of the Caribbean are turning into a military hot spot. as tension escalates between the United States and Venezuela, the U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier is now stationed off the coast of the South American country. Sasha Petrasek has more on how the buildup could reshape regional security. Its runways handle more than 75 fighter jets. Its decks hold 5,000 sailors. And Wednesday, USS Gerald Ford, the biggest aircraft. carrier in the world arrived in the Caribbean. It's the most dramatic escalation yet in what the White

House calls a military campaign against suspected drug runners. Spokeswoman Caroline Levitt. It is going to continue and the president has made it very clear. He's not going to allow terrorists to bring illegal drugs that kill American citizens into our great country. With that justification, the U.S. has launched airstrikes against at least 20 vessels off the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of South America, killing at least 76 people since September. But Washington has provided little evidence that the targets actually carried drugs, prompting a growing international backlash. Given that those military operations are not compliant with international law.

From the French foreign minister meeting G7 counterparts in Ontario and from British intelligence agencies which have cut off their cooperation with the U.S. This is a very significant break in that relationship. Cedric Layton is a former deputy director of the U.S. National Security Agency. So this lack of intelligence support from Britain is going to have a significant impact on the accuracy of the intelligence that the U.S. uses in prosecuting this so-called war on drugs. So this is a major, major issue.

But President Donald Trump has suggested it's not all about drugs that he blames Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro for sending immigrants to the U.S. They've been treating us very badly, not only on drugs. They've dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country that we didn't want. People from prisons, they emptied their prisons into our country. U.S. officials are reportedly proposing an attack on Venezuela, though Trump has publicly rejected it. Still, the U.S. has Maduro in its sights, accusing him of being a narco-trafficker,

offering a $50 million reward for his capture, says Attorney General Pam Bondi. Maduro will not escape justice, and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes. Maduro shot back Tuesday, ordering military and civilian forces in Venezuela to be ready for war. Sasha Petrissik, CBC News, Toronto. Israel's president Isaac Herzog is calling for decisive action to stop violence by settlers in the occupied West Bank. On Tuesday, dozens of masked Israeli settlers hurled stones and set fire to homes and dairy trucks. in a new surge of violence in the Occupied West Bank. Four Palestinians were injured.

Video shows people swarming a dairy and setting fire to four trucks. Manager Munjad al-Junedi says his workers had to take shelter during the midday attack. We instructed our employees to take shelter and look after their safety. Our employees locked themselves inside of our premises, and then the settlers started attacking the premises from the outside throwing stones on the windows, and then started burning our trucks, which were outside. They've burned in total around five trucks, our distribution trucks, and they've burned two smaller cars for our employees

and some private cars also for our employees. 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. Get your podcasts, just find the follow button and lock us in. Many travelers were left scrambling and stranded after the surprise bankruptcy of a Canadian-founded short-term rental company.

Saunders started up in 2014, but the end of its deal with a leading hotel chain has upended the company and its clients. Sarah Levitt reports. I literally freaked out. Carol Tai's vacation to London didn't go exactly as planned. She'd secured a saundered apartment with her husband, but two days into an eight-day booking, she got an email saying she had to leave.

The first reaction is that, I mean, I shouldn't swear on, you know, but it's really like, what the hell? Like, is this a joke? An abrupt end to the stay, and she's not alone. Social media soon filled with similar stories. We just got evicted from our hotel here in Montreal. Your existing reservation is no longer in effect. You need to move out immediately.

Sonder, founded in Montreal, offered short-term apartment and hotel-like stays, almost 10,000 units in 10 countries. In 2024, it teamed up to offer its services through Marriott. But that deal has ultimately led to its undoing. In a statement, Sonder says Marriott terminated their licensing agreement with the hotel company saying it was due to Sonder's financial problems. The company, now based in San Francisco, says it's winding down operations and will file for bankruptcy. As for clients who are hoping to be reimbursed...

So they can actually file a proof of claim within the process of the bankruptcy and try to get back whatever money they've paid. Wasim Tadlawi is a partner and lawyer at the Montreal law firm Lavery. He says clients do have recourse, but they are far from being the first priority. Most companies have secured creditors, which are most of the time banks or financial institutions. They get paid before any other client that has not has a security. As for Saunders, approximately 1,500 employees, they are now out of a job. We were kind of like aware a bit as employees that like the company was going through difficulties, but I think we didn't know how much or how deep the difficulties were.

I mean, Abelde worked for Saunders in Montreal for the past two years. years. She says the first major red flag came last week when she was told not to refund any guests. Then on Sunday, not only did the guests have to leave, but she wasn't employed anymore. We went to the front desk. A bunch of guests were coming in, very frustrated. Hey, why am I receiving this email? And we're all telling them, we just learned at the same time as you. We're just like, what? Is this a joke? I thought I was going to faint. We were all completely shook. Saunders' interim CEO is calling the business's demise devastating but necessary. Sarah Levitt, CBC News, Montreal.

Some American companies are worried about their own demise because of the ongoing decline of Canadian tourism. Visits south of the border have plummeted since January and it's forcing some business owners to find new ways to bring back old friends. Nisha Patel has the details. We're just not crazy about going to. From her home near Windsor, Ontario, Jacqueline Rowland used to cross the border to Detroit to go shopping or visit the airport. Lately, she's been staying close to home.

We're just supporting Canada and just doing local stuff and doing things within our community. She's not alone. Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, many Canadians have been boycotting trips south of the border. New data from Statistics Canada shows air travel was 24% lower in October. and land travel dropped 30% compared to the same time last year. Regardless of anything, we're going to be friends with Canada. Canada's a very special place. While Trump has downplayed the reaction, it's clear Canadians are taking the trade war personally. We've missed them. We've noticed the difference.

Diane Medler leads the tourism agency for Calispell, Montana. Just five hours south of Calgary, it's a popular destination for shopping and skiing, and a frequent host to youth sports tournaments. been a real reciprocal neighborly relationship. We enjoy going up there, Canadians own second homes down here. This year, border crossings from Canada to Montana, a state that voted 58% Republican in the last presidential election, have tumbled. Medler says in Calispell, credit card spending by Canadians is down 40%. Now her organization is launching a discount pass to lure visitors back. Our welcome Matt is out, and they're welcome.

when they're ready to come a visit. The National U.S. Travel Association is feeling the strain. Its latest report suggests international tourism spending will fall nearly $6 billion this year, mostly thanks to the decline in Canadian tourists. I have no intention of going down there. Toronto snowbird Rina Hans owns a condo in Florida, but this winter she's packing her bags for Costa Rica instead.

Yeah, why would I want to give money into a country whose president has stated that they want to annex my... country and has put in massive trade barriers. A recent poll from Angus Reid found 70% of Canadian surveyed would be uncomfortable traveling to the U.S. this winter. One top concern heightened security at the border during Trump's immigration crackdown. Hans says she won't return to the U.S. until he's out of office. I can't vote, but I can vote with my dollars. Even then, she worries America is changed for good. She may sell her Florida property and find a new snowbird home. Nisha Patel, CBC News, Toronto.

We close tonight in the British Columbia backcountry, with the end of an epic journey and the start of an unlikely friendship. If you're watching this, I hope that you get outside in any way that makes sense for you. And if there's something out there that calls to you, I hope you listen. Jessica Guo is a 30-year-old American outdoor enthusiast and social media influencer who recently hiked the entire continental divide and great divide trails, more than 5,700 kilometers from the Mexican border across the U.S. to the B.C. Rockies. She documented it all online, encountering dozens of species of wildlife along the way. Then, on her very last day, an encounter with Gary, Bob, Lee, and Greg. It was different, yeah, quite enjoyable.

talking to somebody that's hiked all over the country. Definitely was surprised that she still wanted to walk at night with all the bears and stuff like that. Greg Redmond is a member of the Kakwa Park Snowmobile Club. About 20 years ago, the group built a cabin in the mountains. We got buddies in the mills around here, and we got lumber donated from, like, donklies. It's been good.

It's a very nice cabin. Last month, after Guo had reached the end of the trail, she hiked past the cabin. It was late and Redmond and his friends said continuing on would not be safe. They insisted she stay and they'd give her a ride out in the morning. The group shared dinner and spent the night talking about the outdoors. Guo may be a hiker. Redmond and his friends stick to snowmobiles and ATVs, but they share and love the same trails. I thought it was going to be a very boring roadwalk out for 60 miles and 100Ks. And you all made that very special for me.

So thank you. Thanks, Jessica. Plead you meeting you and spending the night with you. Crossing paths while hiking between countries and stumbling into new friendships. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Wednesday, November 12th. I'm Susan Bonner.

Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC.ca.com slash podcasts.