Your World Tonight - Ukraine War anniversary, OpenAI in Ottawa, Canada’s ‘El Mencho’ effect, and more

Episode Date: February 24, 2026

Events and vigils are held across Ukraine to mark four years since Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Vladimir Putin “has not achieved his goals,” while vowing to continue the fight. European leaders are promising billions of dollars to help Ukraine in its efforts. Canada is too, along with more sanctions on Russian energy. Ceasefire talks remain at a standstill, with big questions over territory and how the war will end.Also: Let’s talk about text. Executives from U.S. tech giant OpenAI are in Ottawa to answer questions about its chatbot, ChatGPT, and what the company is doing to protect Canadians from harm. The visit follows last week’s revelation that OpenAI staff banned the Tumbler Ridge, B.C. shooter from ChatGPT last June for troubling interactions with their software program, but never flagged concerns to police.And: Why Mexico’s takedown of cartel kingpin, ‘El Mencho,’ could have a ripple effect on Canada’s drug trade.Plus: State of the Union, Trump’s wind power tilt, stability returns to Puerto Vallarta, and more.

Deep fake porn didn't come out of nowhere. It was allowed to spread, while governments dragged their feet and tech companies shrugged. I'm staring at myself in this video that I know I haven't made. This is what it looks like to feel violated. This season on Understood, if you follow the trail, who does it lead to? These images, they were like hunting me, and the biggest platform was Mr. Deepfakes. Understood. Deepfake porn Empire. Available now on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is a CBC podcast. Yes, we are enemies, but we understand that without negotiations, without dialogue, nobody can stop this war. Hundreds of thousands of people killed. Billions of dollars spent, territory gained and lost, four years gone. Russia's war in Ukraine reaches yet another grim milestone no closer to peace. Canada stands with Ukraine. for the long haul. Russia is failing. On an anniversary, nobody is celebrating new support and sanctions from Canada and Europe,

hoping to grind Russia down in another year of war. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Tuesday, February 24th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. The news that OpenAI might have had the opportunity to stop this terrible tragedy in Tumblr Ridge, is just devastating for families. Months before the Tumblr Ridge shooter decided to kill, she was banned from ChatGPT.

Now the federal government wants to know why police were never informed with questions about the technology after a tragedy. And... We're going to continue to monitor while we're there and we'll try to stay safe the whole time. Canadian travelers back to vacation mode after Mexico is rocked by violence.

It is the bloodiest, conflict in Europe since the Second World War. Four years ago, the continent awoke to a new reality. And as Russia's war in Ukraine stretches into a fifth year, the nightmare is far from over. Senior international correspondent Margaret Evans has more on the toll the conflict is taking. Four years in and counting, prayers for Ukraine's war dead and those still fighting in the trenches held at St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev. Ukraine's president, Vladimir Zelensky, flanked by European Union leaders, making what's become an annual pilgrimage of support. Outside, a minute's silence punctuated by the ticking of a clock.

It is an unspeakably painful day for Ukrainians, time standing still for the dead, but not those left behind to mourn and carry on the fight in their name. 19-year-old Valeria Piven has found a picture of her father, Valeri, at a memorial. Somehow it feels like this war has been going on forever, she says. The boys did not die for nothing, says her mother, Irina. I believe that they were on their way to victory. Vladimir Zelenskyy says it will come if there's sustained support from Ukraine's ally. an appeal he made in a video appearance at the European Parliament. Yes, we are holding Russia back, but we have not yet guaranteed security.

He mentioned a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine approved by European Union countries, but blocked at the last minute by Hungary. This is a real financial guarantee of our security and our resilience, and it must be implemented. And I thank everyone who is working to make it happen. He was given a standing ovation by the Parliament and in Kiev assurances by the visiting president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. This word cannot be broken.

So we will deliver on the loan one way or the other. The question, of course, is when and will it come in time to make a difference? In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused Ukraine and its Western allies of trying to destroy what he described as a peaceful diplomatic process through acts of sabotage. Peace talks, such as they are, are expected to resume on Thursday with U.S. envoy Steve Whitkoff mediating. Today, Zelensky's office released a video of the Ukrainian president walking through memorials in Kiev, saying,

He wants U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine and witness its pain and struggle in person. Margaret Evans, CBC News, London. Canada is offering more support to Ukraine. Prime Minister Mark Carney says that includes sanctions on Russia's energy supply. We are tightening sanctions, including on the shadow fleet, additional 100 vessels in Russia's shadow fleet. This is the fleet that facilitates elite. exports of crude oil, also additional financial sanctions, a lowering of the oil price cap in

coordination with the EU and the United Kingdom. Carney also says Canada will provide Ukraine with another $400 armored vehicles and $2 billion in military help. Global conflict and foreign policy are some of the many topics Donald Trump is expected to address tonight. The U.S. President is delivering the first state of the union address of his second term, as Paul Hunter tells us, Washington. Trump's speech will attempt to set the agenda going forward while patting himself on the back. Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States. Over the years, Donald Trump has given a number of these speeches, but maybe none with bigger stakes than this one. Yesterday,

he previewed a key aspect of his state of the union this way. We have a country that's now doing well. We have the greatest economy we've ever had. Heading into November's midterm elections, with Republican control of Capitol Hill in the balance, it's what he wants Americans to believe. But polls suggest most see it as quite the opposite. I know the president's really looking forward to his address tonight. In effect, says White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, the ask is to have faith.

The president's going to make the case that three more years with him in the White House and with Republicans on Capitol Hill, we can finally achieve the American dream in this country again. But consider the current landscape for Trump, under fire for the actions of his immigration authorities, for the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, and for his treatment of long-standing allies, Canada chief among them. Just last week, the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out a cornerstone of his agenda, those global tariffs. The court's justices are always on the State of the Union invite list, though, as Trump put it after that ruling.

Honestly, I couldn't care less if they come. Meanwhile, the U.S. seems set for a major strike on Iran. Trump tonight expected to make the case to the American public on why. Notably, just months after an earlier U.S. strike, which, as Trump then described it, obliterated Iran's nuclear capability. But it's the economy that's front and center for most Americans. And on that, those polled point to higher prices broadly and, as they see it, economic mismanagement by Trump. Never in our lifetime have we gone into a state of the union where the president's rhetoric and the countries' reality are so far apart. That's senior Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer. Here's fellow Democratic Senator Alyssa Slotkin. He's literally declared an emergency, you know, a dozen times on things like

Canada or Brazil, but he hasn't declared a housing emergency or things that actually affect the average American. Then there are the theatrics, flown in to watch on Trump's invite the U.S. Men's Olympic hockey team, gold medals in hand. And so the speech with the speech with Trump himself suggesting get ready. It's going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about. So much for Trump to frame. For an electorate seemingly less enthused about all of it than he is, Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington.

The U.S. is now collecting on Trump's latest tariffs. The global levies are currently 10%. The White House wants to boost them to 15. The president announced the rate last week after the Supreme Court ruled against many of his import. taxes. These new duties are temporary and fall under a different law. Canada is mostly exempt, thanks to Kuzma. Separate tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos are still in effect. Coming right up, a major artificial intelligence firm is facing questions from the federal government about how its technology was used by the Tumblr Ridge Shooter. And Canadian travelers are returning to Mexico,

with the country still reeling from an explosion of cartel violence. Later, we'll have this story. There are windmills all over the place, and they are losers. They're a joke. They don't work. U.S. President Donald Trump's at war with wind power, especially offshore. But where Trump sees ugly wind turbines, Canada sees opportunity. There's a lot of eyes on Nova Scotia right now. That's Nova Scotia's premier.

A Rhode Island Senator concur. Our loss will be Canada's game. I'm Susan Ormiston. The politics of wind power coming up on your world tonight. Two weeks after the mass shooting in Tumblr Ridge, BC, Canadian officials are meeting with executives from the U.S. tech company OpenAI. It banned the shooter's chat GPT account months ago,

but the company did not report her online activity to police until after the shooting, raising questions about accountability, privacy, and safety. Olivia Stefanovic reports. We do want to know exactly what open AI does, what the thresholds are, what the human interactions are. Even the minister responsible for artificial intelligence says he doesn't have a sight line on the shadowy inner workings of AI powerhouses. And Evan Solomon wants that to change. I'm hoping that the open AI safety officials tell us more details about their safety protocols.

and if they have a threat that they perceive what the technology does and what the human process does. Solomon summoned representatives from the San Francisco big tech company, OpenAI, for an urgent meeting in Ottawa Tuesday evening about their safety protocols. It comes after the Wall Street Journal first reported, OpenAI banned the Tumblr-Rid shooter from the platform's chat GPT last June over troubling posts, including some involving scenarios of, gun violence. The company says it only contacted the RCMP after the mass shooting because the post didn't signal credible or imminent planning. The news that OpenAI might have had the opportunity

to stop this terrible tragedy in Tumblr Ridge is just devastating for families in Tumblr Ridge. And I think for families across Canada people. British Columbia Premier David Eby is demanding clarity from the company and action from the federal government. It's such an awful thing. And, uh, and, uh, And, you know, at a minimum, I hope that as a province, as a country, we can learn from this tragedy and, and prevent similar things from happening again. Eby is calling on Ottawa to establish a national threshold, mandating AI companies report when users are threatening to engage in violent activities. But it's complicated. Because a threshold that is too low, of course, will result in a risk of overreporting, potentially stigmatizing people.

Privacy lawyer Sharon Bauer says striking a balance between protecting individual privacy and safety will be a challenge. Of course, too high of a bar will mean a risk of missing genuine threats. But taking action is necessary, says Taylor Owen, the Beaverbrook Chair in Media Ethics and Communications at McGill University. Otherwise, he says Canadians won't feel safe using AI. They cannot convince Canadians to adopt AI. which is their economic policy, if Canadians don't trust it. Owen says cases, like the one involving Open AI and Tumblr Ridge, only erode the little trust that does exist.

Olivia Estevanovich, CBC News, Ottawa. Two days after a Mexican resort city was overrun with fires and gun battles, life is returning to normal, and flights full of tourists are on their way back to. Porto Vallarta was the epicenter of an explosive day of violence, violence after the capture and killing of a cartel boss. Jorge Barrera is there. After a Sunday that saw fires and blockades ripped through the tourist hotspot of Puerto Vallarta and other states in Mexico, daily life tried to regain its regular rhythm in the coastal city. The code red was lifted in Puerto Vallarta Tuesday and its state of Halisco and a Navy warship docked

at the local port, the Mexican government projecting strength and stability. international flights that had been suspended also resumed. We were meant to fly out on Sunday morning, and we were about to get into the cab when we got the alert that everything was going down. Adam Melham and his partner from Toronto managed to get one of the first available Air Canada flights out of Puerto Vallata Tuesday. We were very lucky. Around him the breeze swayed the palms as taxis and passenger vans rolled in and out of the airport.

All of Puerto Vallarta depends on tourism, says Daniela Cuevas Santander, a local business owner. She worries Sunday's events will tarnish the coastal city's image. I hope people will still have confidence in Bayarta, she says. Violence flared in the city and across the country after federal forces launched in operation to arrest Nemesio Ruben Osoggera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, who died from Woolrowes. wounds after a shootout with the military. He was the head of the Halisco New Generation Cartel, the country's most powerful organized crime group.

The spasm of conflict has left local residents still processing what happened. Guadalupe Martinez, a local reporter, had a close brush with death. She says she was about to start reporting with her cell phone when an armed man on a motorbike carjacked her and her husband. They were forced to walk away from their car, which she believes was also burned. I never looked back, she says.

I thought he was going to shoot us, says Martinez. Her eyes well with tears, and she asks to pause the interview, the fear from the moment suddenly gripping her. Jorge Brera, CBC News, Puerto Vallarta. It's well known. The reach of Mexican drug cartels extends, far beyond the country's borders, and the latest killing of a top boss could be felt as far away as Canada. Thomas Degla has more on the cartels' Canadian connections.

An estimated street value of $83 million. Just over a year ago, Toronto Police laid out cardboard boxes full of what they said were bricks of cocaine. Police Chief Myron Dempkew described it as the biggest such seizure in the agency's history, and he drew particular attention to who smuggled the load into Canada. 835 kilograms of cocaine that is alleged to have the hallmarks of coming from the Halisco New Generation Cartel. That's the notorious Mexican crime syndicate led for years by the drug lord known as El Mentiono. Experts took that announcement last year as evidence the cartel was active in this country. You take the drugs from Mexico all the way up to Canada and basically by

trucks. Luis Nizgera is a Toronto-based crime analyst and author, originally from Mexico. He says it's likely El Mancho's ruthless group was carrying out killings here too. When these kind of seizures happen, there's people who have to pay for that. And usually payment is your life. Now, with the cartel boss eliminated, investigators expect the price of bulk cocaine will spike again. Montreal police say the arrest last month of Canadian alleged drug cancer. PIN Ryan Wedding temporarily sent the price soaring with a kilogram sold for $33,000. That's nearly double what police consider the typical average price. Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandesangery.

I think any type of reduction in the capacity of transnational organized crime networks to be able to do their trade is important. Police say when prices go up, it leads dealers to cut street cocaine. with unpredictable substitutes, all of it leaving drug users with a product that's potentially more toxic. There is some adjustments internally. Any shockwaves from El Mancho's demise may be short-lived, says former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Gary Hale.

I expect the impact pretty much to be the same anywhere in the world, including the United States and Canada. The killing of the longtime crime boss came just a month after the arrest of wedding, who's been linked to the rival Sinoloa cartoon. At times, the two men's networks were said to have worked together to move drugs into Canada. But Wedding's lawyer insists, despite speculation, his client didn't provide information that helped authorities locate the elusive Mexican drug lord. Thomas Daagl, CBC News, Toronto. It is a case gripping the United States, and now there's a giant cash reward to help crack it.

Weeks after she was taken, Nancy Guthrie is still missing. Her daughter, a prominent TV journalist, is hoping a million-dollar incentive will bring in new information. Even as she fears, it may be too late. Jennifer Yoon reports. We are blowing on the embers of hope. In an emotional video posted to social media, American TV anchor Savannah Guthrie for the first time, acknowledging her missing mother might not be found alive. We also know that she may be lost.

She may already be gone. If this is what is to be, then we will accept it. But we need to know where she is. It's been more than three weeks since Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home near Tucson, Arizona. Police say the 84-year-old was abducted, leaving behind bloodstains on the front porch. Now the Guthrie family offering up to a million dollars for any information on the whereabouts of their mom. Someone out there knows something that can bring her home. Somebody knows.

We are begging you to please come forward now. The FBI has also pledged up to $100,000 for information on the disappearance. But so far, there's no trace and no arrests connected to the case. This, despite an extensive investigation that's been highly publicized. They may be nervous because it's getting so much attention. That may have dissuaded people from coming. Coming forward, says retired FBI agent Daniel Brenner. But he says the cash incentive could change things.

Maybe this $1 million reward may offset that nervousness, that deputation to step forward and provide the information needed. There are few clues in this case, at least the ones made public so far. Camera footage showing a masked person outside Guthrie's home and a glove found a few kilometers away containing what authorities say is mixed DNA from multiple people. And that could take months to untangle. Brunner says it's likely just a fraction of the evidence. What we don't want to do is run this investigation via social media. Those investigators need to hold all the cards close to their vest

until the moment is right where they're able to take somebody into custody. The public attention has also inspired some to step up and try to help. Volunteer search teams looking for any clues near Guthrie's home, including Lisa Polack. If this were my mom, I would want people helping me. Please keep praying without ceasing. As the investigation continues, Savannah Guthrie, asking those watching to pray for her family,

that they get their mom back no matter what happened. Jennifer Yun, CBC News, Toronto. Ottawa is giving the green light to Gulfstream business jets. Regulators certified four models from the U.S. plane maker, clearing them to fly in Canada. The length of the process angered President Trump. Last month, he accused Ottawa of refusing to approve the aircraft. He threatened to decertify and tariff all Canadian-made planes in retaliation.

There's something else in the air making Donald Trump unhappy, windmills. The U.S. President is working against the renewable energy industry, leaving big projects unfinished and some companies with billions of dollars ready to invest. As Susan Ormiston tells us, Canada could take advantage of the changing wind in the U.S. There are windmills all over the place, and they are losers. They're a joke. They don't work. U.S. President Donald Trump's at war with wind power,

trying to hamstring the industry, especially offshore along the Atlantic coast. This industry was booming, and there was a pipeline of work that was promised for decades. But in December, five major projects were forced to stop work. The government citing security issues, leaving workers in limbo, says Harry Ann. with the AFL-CIO Union Federation. They feel betrayed. They feel like they've been punched in the gut. The five win companies fought back in court, and they won.

Allowing work to resume for now but leaving a big chill on investments, says Chris Olleth with an independent strategy group. Right now, the level of confidence in the market is less than zero. We're not going to do the win thing. President Trump took aim on day one of his second tour. term promising to suspend wind leases and power up oil and gas interests. With all of the funding that the fossil fuel industry has given to Trump, this is kind of payback. Democratic Senator Sheldon White House of Rhode Island says investors are looking outside the U.S.

I'm sad to say that I think Canada has a big opportunity because of the stain the Trump administration has left. Music to the Premier of Nova Scotia's ears. The interest is through the roof. lot of eyes on Nova Scotia right now. The edge of a clean energy breakthrough. Premier Tim Houston is pitching an offshore wind mega project off the East Coast to generate five gigawatts initially, potentially 40, he says,

with plans to export some of it, including to the U.S. I just came back from a conference in New York. People in the industry are excited about the Nova Scotia opportunity because they know that the demand is there. But with an estimated 40 billion to build in 20, billion for transmission lines, a recent engineering report says the price tag could be prohibitive. Who's going to pay for that? Yeah, a combination. The industry will pay. Tax credits, we're having very encouraging discussions

with the federal government. Prime Minister Mark Carney nodded to East Coast wind as a potential major projects candidate. And the province is expected to call for bids later this year. Our loss will be Canada's gain. Bitter sweet for Rhode Island, at least until a new U.S. He says. Susan Ormiston, CBC News, Providence, Rhode Island. Finally tonight, you've likely heard the old joke, why did the chicken cross the road? Well, this last story is similar, but it involves turkeys rather than chickens, and instead of crossing the road, they were the reason a man in Ottawa could not. I was just minding my business, walking down the sidewalk. Then they started coming at me.

At first, I was like, I lot of these turkeys are getting kind of close. like it's a little odd. And then they started getting up in my business. And I was like, what's going on here? Michael Bourgont describing the moment last week when he was approached by two wild turkeys. He was at a busy intersection on his way home from work when the turkey started flapping and packing towards him.

I was just like, okay, I don't want whatever this is, I don't want it. So I just started walking away. The entire scene was captured on video. You can hear the kids. cameraman chuckling. Borgon wasn't amused. In fact, the situation was getting more serious as the turkeys forced him into traffic. And in my head at this point, I'm thinking, oh God, please don't let me be the guy who goes viral for kicking a turkey in the face. But then some lady in her car just yells like, hey, come on, hop in. And honestly, I just wanted to get away from these turkeys.

Like, I was not in the mood for turkey business. Thank you to that good Samaritan. Bourgain finally got away, unharmed, and he was able to have a laugh like me about the time turkeys kept him from getting to the other side of the road. Thank you for joining us. This has been your world tonight for Tuesday, February 24th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca.ca.com. podcasts.