Auto and pipeline politics, Comey plea, crypto ATM fraud, and more

Summary

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Your World Tonight (CBC) – Episode Summary

Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Susan Bonner & Stephanie Skenderis
Episode: Auto and Pipeline Politics, Comey Plea, Crypto ATM Fraud, and More

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Overview

This episode of Your World Tonight provides a comprehensive rundown of major news stories shaping the political, economic, and social landscape, both in Canada and internationally. Topics include tensions over cross-border trade and pipelines, the weaponization of the US Justice Department, updates on the Israel-Gaza conflict and France's political crisis, domestic transportation woes, health care staffing shortages in BC, the fate of Marineland’s whales, crypto ATM fraud in Canada, and a heartwarming canine rescue in Florida.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Canada-US Trade Tensions: Autos, Pipelines & Tariffs

• Mark Carney’s return from Washington: Face-off in Parliament over lack of concrete results from trade talks with President Trump, especially concerning steel, aluminum, energy, and the auto sector.

• Auto Industry Concerns:

  • US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick signals a tough stance: "There could be no trade deal between Canada and the U.S. that did not include tariffs and that on autos Canada would have to accept it would always place second to the U.S." (03:00)
  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatens to withhold energy exports if the US targets the auto sector.
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith cautiously optimistic about reviving the Keystone XL pipeline with US support, though expresses a preference for a pipeline to BC.

  Quote:

  • Pierre Poilievre, opposition leader: "If Mark Carney's meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office was friendly, the Prime Minister's return to the House of Commons and question period was anything but." (02:34)

  Major insight:

  • Despite talks, US tariffs remain in place, Canada’s auto sector is under duress, and pipeline politics are unresolved—leaving the opposition to hammer for specific results (05:03).

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2. US Politics: Comey Plea and Justice Department Weaponization

• James Comey Case:
  • Former FBI Director pleads not guilty to charges of making false statements and obstruction. His legal team alleges prosecution is "vindictive" (05:54).
  • Trump’s administration faces accusations of weaponizing the Department of Justice to target political enemies, including Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff.
• Expert Analysis:
  • David Sklansky, Stanford: "The first and most immediate danger is the danger of authoritarian excess, of an overpowerful executive who uses prosecutorial power to silence the president's foes. We haven't seen it historically in the United States, certainly not in the last half century, and that's very frightening." (08:17)
• Senate Democrats’ rebuke:
  • "In eight short months, you have fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left an enormous stain in American history." (07:35)

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3. Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Talks

• Trump claims progress:
  • "Negotiations are going along very well. We're dealing with Hamas and many of the countries... Nothing like that's happened before. And our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas." (09:08)
• Deal Points:
  • Exchange of hostages and prisoners, Israel’s military withdrawal, Hamas seeks guarantees Israel won’t resume attacks.

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4. France’s Escalating Political Crisis

• President Macron’s struggle:

  • After repeated government shakeups and deadlocked parliament, snap elections may be on the horizon due to inability to pass a budget (10:13).
  • Ex-PM Edouard Philippe and far-right leader Marine Le Pen call for Macron’s resignation unless a budget is agreed.
  • Analyst Renaud Foucault says Macron is now perceived as a "lame duck" in Europe.

  Quote:

  • Renaud Foucault: "I think in Europe, it starts now to be perceived as a lame duck also because it doesn't have a political party on its own that will survive its legacy." (12:11)

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5. VIA Rail Delays & Passenger Compensation

• Record compensation payout:
  • VIA paid out $31 million due to delays, mainly caused by stricter speed regulations at rail crossings.
  • 15% of trains in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor over an hour late.
  • Passengers frustrated; travel vouchers aren’t enough—“Why not just make the trains on time? They’re on time in Japan." (13:53)
• Legal disputes between VIA and CN persist; partial solutions (steady reduced speeds) are in place, but no clear end to the delays.

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6. BC Hospitals: ER Staff Shortages & Closures

• Delta’s ER repeatedly shuttered:

  • ER at Delta’s only hospital closed for a fourth time due to a doctor shortage.
  • Mayor and councilor urge a provincial emergency declaration; no urgent care centers exist locally.
  • The crisis reflects broader staffing shortages affecting multiple regions in BC.

• Response:

  • The province recruiting internationally; long-term fix needed but more ER closures likely in the interim.

  Notable exchange:

  • Tom Perry: "People have lost faith in the fundamentals of our health care system." (17:20)

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7. Marineland’s Beluga Whale Dilemma

• 30 whales face euthanasia:
  • Federal government blocks moving them to China; emergency funding denied.
  • Sanctuary solutions in Nova Scotia are stalled, and scientists warn whales can’t easily adapt to the wild or sanctuary environments after a lifetime in captivity (19:28).
• Expert opinions:
  • Javier Almunya: "I will not be sure that we can guarantee the welfare of the animals in a sanctuary... that will be an option for animals in maybe 10 or 20 years. It's not an option for animals tomorrow." (21:10)
  • Andrew Trites: "They get rejected by other animals and they're really looking at a life of starvation, loneliness." (21:46)

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8. Los Angeles Arson Update

• Man charged in LA’s most destructive fire:
  • Fire originally thought to be out reignited, killing 12 and destroying Pacific Palisades.
  • Official: "This arrest, we hope, will provide a measure of justice to all those who were impacted." (22:50)

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9. Cryptocurrency ATM Fraud in Canada

• Crypto ATMs exploited:
  • Canada has highest per-capita crypto ATMs in the world; Fintrac finds fraudsters use them to exploit victims, especially seniors, out of millions annually (24:05).
  • Ease of use and near-anonymity make them ideal for scams.
  • Detective David Coffey: "So any number like [$14 million lost] you can multiply by 10 or 20 to get a true grasp of the problem that we're facing." (25:34)
• Regulation lag:
  • No machine-specific rules in Canada, but other countries impose strict limits or bans.
  • The government is considering stronger laws.

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10. Heartwarming Moment: Dog Leads Police to Missing Owner

• Florida “Lassie” moment:

  • Elderly woman missing after walking her dog, Eeyore. The dog attracts police attention and guides officers to her, leading to her rescue (27:05).

  Memorable moment:

  • Officer: "He kept coming back to me. He ran up to my car and I said, bring me to your mommy. And he ran back here." (28:09)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Canada-US Trade / Pipeline Politics | 01:07–05:28| | US Politics: Comey, DOJ Weaponization | 05:28–08:49| | Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Talks | 08:49–09:33| | France Political Crisis | 09:33–12:38| | VIA Rail Delays | 13:33–16:09| | BC Hospital Staffing Crisis | 16:09–18:49| | Marineland Beluga Whale Dilemma | 18:58–22:11| | LA Arson Charge | 22:11–23:21| | Crypto ATM Fraud in Canada | 24:05–26:43| | Dog Leads Police to Owner | 26:43–28:22|

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Notable Quotes

• Pierre Poilievre on trade talks:
  "If Mark Carney's meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office was friendly, the Prime Minister's return to the House of Commons and question period was anything but." (02:34)

• Howard Lutnick (reported):
  "There could be no trade deal between Canada and the U.S. that did not include tariffs and that on autos Canada would have to accept it would always place second to the U.S." (03:00)

• David Sklansky (Stanford law):
  "The first and most immediate danger is the danger of authoritarian excess, of an overpowerful executive who uses prosecutorial power to silence the president's foes." (08:17)

• Detective David Coffey (Toronto Police):
  "So any number like [$14 million lost] you can multiply by 10 or 20 to get a true grasp of the problem that we're facing." (25:34)

• Renaud Foucault (on Macron):
  "I think in Europe, it starts now to be perceived as a lame duck... So no one is positioning themselves to be the next Macron." (12:11)

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Memorable Moment

• The "Lassie" Rescue in Florida:
  “He kept coming back to me. He ran up to my car and I said, bring me to your mommy. And he ran back here.” (28:09)

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This episode offers a brisk, insightful whirlwind through pressing issues—trade negotiations, political showdowns, and urgent crises at home—rounded out with affecting human moments and policy scrutiny. The tone remains serious, analytical, and attuned to both national and global impacts.

Transcript

[Paige Desorbo]

Hey, I'm Paige desorbo and I'm always thinking about underwear.

[Hannah Berner]

I'm Hannah Berner and I'm also thinking about underwear, but I prefer full coverage. I like to call them my granny panties.

[Paige Desorbo]

Actually, I never think about underwear. That's the magic of Tommy John.

[Hannah Berner]

Same.

[Susan Bonner]

They're so light and so comfy.

[Hannah Berner]

And if it's not comfortable, I'm not wearing it.

[Paige Desorbo]

And the bras? Soft, supportive and actually breathable.

[Susan Bonner]

Yes.

[Hannah Berner]

Lord knows the girls need to breathe. Also, I need my PJs to breathe and be buttery, soft and stretchy enough for my dramatic tossing and turning at night. That's why I live in my John pajamas.

[Paige Desorbo]

Plus they're so cute because they fit perfectly. Put yourself on to Tommy John. Upgrade your drawer with Tommy John. Save 25% for a limited [e-mail]. see site for details.

[Tom Perry]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Well, Mr. Speaker, we'll go soft on him today because I know he's still recovering from surgery to have elbows removed. We haven't seen those elbows since the election.

[Susan Bonner]

The trip to the White House was supposed to be the hard part, but it's the House of Commons where Mark Carney was feeling the heat, returning from Washington empty handed and finding the opposition full of questions about cross border trade, the economy, the Prime Minister's promises and his lack of a deal. Welcome to youo World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, October 8, just before 6pm Eastern. Also on the podcast, what has taken.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Place since January 20, 2025 would make even President Nixon recoil. In eight short months, you have fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left an enormous stain in American history.

[Susan Bonner]

Accusations in Washington about the weaponization of the American justice system. With the Trump administration facing harsh criticism for using the law to target political opponents and the President's personal enem. There are suggestions from the Prime Minister that a deal on steel and aluminum tariffs could be in the works with the United States. There's discussion about reviving a key cross border oil pipeline. But after a one on one meeting with US President Donald Trump, the opposition was demanding something more concrete. Tom Perry reports.

[Tom Perry]

Oral questions if Mark Carney's meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office was friendly, the Prime Minister's return to the House of Commons and question period was anything but.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Well, Mr. Speaker, we'll go soft on him today because I know he's still recovering from surgery to have his elbows removed. Remember that promise, Mr. Speaker. Dancing around with his elbows in the air.

[Tom Perry]

Opposition leader Pierre Poliev mocking Carney mercilessly over a meeting he says delivered nothing but which Carney says made progress.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The president of the United States and myself had a meeting of minds yesterday.

[Tom Perry]

With respect to the future of the.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Steel sector, the aluminum sector, the energy.

[Tom Perry]

Sector and cooperation, which is why our teams are negotiating the terms of those deals, carney told the House. The two sides are also working out a deal on autos. But as the prime minister and opposition leader were squaring off, news was emerging from a summit on Canada U.S. trade taking place in Toronto. U.S. commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick addressed the summit behind closed doors via video link and reportedly told his audience there could be no trade deal between Canada and the U.S. that did not include tariffs and that on autos Canada would have to accept it would always place second to the U.S. ontario Premier Doug Ford, who was at the summit, laid out how he would respond to any attempt by the U.S. to shut down Ontario's auto sector.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There won't be one 1 ounce of energy coming from Ontario because you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to use that cheap energy that we're selling to our American friends to be competitive to sell products around the world.

[Tom Perry]

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was at that same summit. To her mark, Carney's efforts to establish a friendly rapport with Donald Trump is the better way to go. Smith weighed in as well on another matter. Sources tell CBC News the prime minister raised the possibility of reviving the Keystone XL pipeline with Trump during their discussions. The pipeline would run from Alberta to oil refineries in the U.S. smith says while she'd be happy to see that project built, she'll continue to push for a pipeline from Alberta to BC's northern coast.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Should it really be easier for us to deal with Donald Trump and get Keystone XL restarted and built down to the Gulf Coast?

[Katie Nicholson]

Should that be easier than building a.

[Narrator/Reporter]

New bitumen pipeline to British Columbia?

[Tom Perry]

For now, a lot of this is just talk. There are no plans for any new pipeline. And while negotiations continue between the US And Canada, US Tariffs remain in place. The prime minister has told Canadians he will deliver results, but the opposition keeps hammering him again and again with one question when Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa.

[Susan Bonner]

Former FBI Director James Comey has pleaded not guilty in US Federal court to charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction of justice. Comey's indictment has sparked a fierce political debate with Democrats and some legal experts accusing the US President of using the Department of Justice as a political weapon. Katie Nicholson has more.

[Katie Nicholson]

Outside an Alexandria, Virginia courthouse, a handful of protesters clutched signs trumped up charges read one show. Trial said another inside. Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty. His legal team asked for more information about the two charges. The September indictment lean on details. Comey's team also made it clear it intends to file motions to dismiss the case, including one alleging the prosecution is vindictive.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He's a leaker. We fired Comey.

[Tom Perry]

That fraud.

[Katie Nicholson]

US President Donald Trump's animosity toward Comey goes back to his first term and his frustrations with an ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

[Tom Perry]

That phony crooked Comey. One of the best things is firing James. Comey's a out of there.

[Katie Nicholson]

Comey is hardly the only person the president has wanted to see behind bars.

[Tom Perry]

Hillary Clinton has to go to jail, okay? She has to go to jail for what she's done.

[Narrator/Reporter]

They should lock her up.

[Katie Nicholson]

But these days, he's more focused on other perceived foes. In a now deleted post on social media, he asked his Attorney general, Pam Bondi, what was being done about not just Comey, but New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff. All he said were guilty as hell. Both are currently under investigation by the Justice Department.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What has taken place since January 20, 2025, would make even President Nixon recoil.

[Katie Nicholson]

In a combative congressional hearing yesterday, Bondi faced accusations from Senate Democrats like Dick Durbin.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is your legacy, Attorney General Bondi. In eight short months, you have fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left an enormous stain in American history.

[Katie Nicholson]

I took office with two main goals, to end the weaponization of justice and.

[Yasmin Renea]

Return the department to its core mission.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Of fighting violent crime. The president has made it clear that he wants to use the Department of Justice to go after his enemies, and nothing the Department of Justice has done suggests that they are resisting that in any way.

[Katie Nicholson]

David Sklansky is a law professor at Stanford University. He warns that politicization potentially undermines the credibility of the DOJ and and democracy itself.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The first and most immediate danger is the danger of authoritarian excess, of an overpowerful executive who uses prosecutorial power to silence the president's foes. We haven't seen it historically in the United States, certainly not in the last half century, and that's very frightening.

[Katie Nicholson]

Comey's brief trial is set to begin January 5th. By then, he may not be the only Trump foe in court. Katie Nicholson, CBC News, Toronto.

[Susan Bonner]

Trump says a deal to end the war in Gaza is very close. Senior US Officials are in Egypt to take part in talks. Top officials from Qatar and Israel are also there answering questions. In Washington today, Trump said he may travel there this weekend if a deal is reached.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Negotiations are going along very well. We're dealing with Hamas and many of the countries, as you know, we have Muslim all of the Muslim countries are included, all of the Arab countries are included, very rich countries and some that are not so rich. But just about everybody is included. It's never happened before. Nothing like that's happened before. And our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas.

[Susan Bonner]

The plan calls for the immediate release of the hostages being held in Gaza and for Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. It lays out a withdrawal plan for Israel's military. Hamas says it's seeking guarantees Israel will not resume its military campaign after the hostage release. France may be reaching a political boiling point after more than a year of turmoil and a divided parliament unable to pass a budget, last ditch negotiations to save President Emmanuel Macron's coalition government did not work and he could be forced to call snap elections. Brier Stewart reports.

[Brier Stewart]

French President Emmanuel Macron seemed relaxed and confident as he greeted the Crown Prince of Jordan in Paris. But beyond the walls of the Elyse palace, the political pressure on him is growing. On Monday, Macron's hand picked Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornau resigned just hours after appointing a cabinet. He was France's fifth prime minister in two years, a clear consequence of a parliament deadlocked by division. We have reached the end of this joke. The farce has gone on long enough, said Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far right National Rally who's calling on Macron to dissolve parliament. The sharp words aren't just coming from his opponents, but also from some of his longtime allies. His very first prime minister, Edouard Philippe, says that Macron should resign and call an early election, but only after the parliament manages to pass a budget. France is engulfed in not only a political crisis but also an economic one. The country is saddled with rising, crippling debt, and there's no consensus on how to cut spending. Plans to raise the retirement age to 64 have been deeply unpopular.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's like the last roll of dice. They will try one last time.

[Brier Stewart]

Renaud Foucault is a senior lecturer at the Department of Economics at Lancaster University. Macron's office said he will appoint a new prime minister in the next 48 hours, and Foucault believes it could be someone who is more closely aligned with the left in order to build a workable coalition. He says while Macron's popularity has sunk at home, he's done a lot on the world stage, especially when it comes to building up European security and supporting Ukraine. But now Foucault says that influence is likely waning.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I think in Europe, it starts now to be perceived as a lame duck also because it doesn't have a political party on its own that will survive its legacy. So no one is positioning themselves to be the next Macron.

[Brier Stewart]

Macron has repeatedly said that he plans to serve out the rest of his term, which is slated to end in 2027. Bryer Stewart, CBC News, London.

[Susan Bonner]

Coming right up, as passenger complaints keep chugging along, VIA Rail is paying millions of dollars in compensation for delayed travel and staffing. Emergency in the er. A shortage of doctors has some BC Hospitals at the breaking point. Later, we'll have this story.

[Hannah Berner]

I'm Farah Merali in Toronto, where cryptocurrency ATMs are a common sight in cafes or convenience stores. But a new report we obtained shows they're now one of the main ways fraudsters are getting money from their victims.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In Canada, the challenges of crypto ATMs and the challenges of cryptocurrency is as soon as it's sent away, that money is across the globe. It's easy, it's fast, it's irreversible.

[Hannah Berner]

How crypto ATMs are feeding Canada's fraud problem coming up on YOUR WORLD tonight.

[Susan Bonner]

Delayed and slow trains are creating expensive trips for VIA Rail as complaints surge. The Crown Corporation has been forced to pay tens of millions of dollars to compensate passengers as VIA blames new speed regulations for throwing its schedule off the rails. Danielle LeBlanc has the story.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Second time traveling and I'm hoping it's on time. I was a little late coming in. Delays are a regular part of life for train passengers on the busy stretch between Windsor and Quebec City. New figures obtained by CBC News show VIA rail paid out $31 million in compensation to travelers over the last year. The travel vouchers are worth 50% of the ticket price for an hour long delay and 100% for delays that stretch out four hours or more. Still, many travelers at the Ottawa train station would prefer on time arrivals to travel vouchers. That's very bad news. Why not just make the trains on time? They're on time in Japan. It's a shame that they have to pay so much. The number of delays has reached record highs in the last year. That's when CN imposed new restrictions at hundreds of rail crossings for via's new venture trains. Engineers have been slowing down their trains and and making sure, security barriers and warning lights are in operation at rail crossings before they go back to normal speed. Via says 15% of its trains have been more than an hour late in the key corridor that includes Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Federal Transport Minister Stephen McKinnon says that via Rail's performance is unacceptable. What's troubling is that passengers, customers are not getting to their destination destination on time. And VIA Rail, we have to work with them to make sure that that performance improves. Transport expert and former university professor Jacques Hua agrees. This is a poor showing for Via Rail. $31 million is a significant amount. It means that there were quite a few travelers using VIA Rail that didn't.

[Susan Bonner]

Get there on time.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It also means that the taxpayers do not actually receive the level of service they would. Officials from both CN and VIA Rail refuse to give interviews on the matter today. Still, they have a partial solution in sight. Since late August, CN is allowing VIA Rail trains to go through all rail crossings at a steadier, albeit reduced, speed. But CN and VIA Rail are nonetheless continuing to face off at the Quebec Superior Court over restrictions at rail crossings, and there is no clear deadline for the legal wrangling to stop. Daniel LeBlanc, CBC News, Ottawa.

[Susan Bonner]

There are new warnings tonight about some B.C. hospitals in need of critical care. Staffing shortages are forcing emergency room closures, with health care providers across the province scrambling to recruit doctors. Yasmin Renea has that story.

[Narrator/Reporter]

My family for many, many years have been very involved with this hospital.

[Yasmin Renea]

Standing outside the Delta Hospital, B.C. conservative member of the Legislative Assembly Ian Payton says the recent ER closures are personal.

[Narrator/Reporter]

My mom and dad, going back into the 70s, were some of the original people that got together with community members to say, we need a hospital here in Delta.

[Yasmin Renea]

Delta is a city in British Columbia's Lower Mainland with more than 100,000 residents. Earlier this month, its only ER shut down for more than 12 hours because of a shortage of doctors. It's the fourth time the ER has closed this year.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We're here in Delta, part of Metro Vancouver. It's just totally unacceptable.

[Yasmin Renea]

The closures prompting City Councillor Dylan Krueger to table a motion to declare a public health emergency.

[Tom Perry]

The status quo isn't good enough.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's not working. People have lost faith in the fundamentals.

[Tom Perry]

Of our health care system.

[Yasmin Renea]

Mayor of Delta George Harvey ruled the motion out of order, saying only the province can declare an emergency. But he acknowledges there is a problem made worse by the fact that many residents don't have family doctors, not even him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You don't have any option other than to go to an emergency department. Delta does not have any urgent primary care centers.

[Yasmin Renea]

ER closures are not just affecting Delta. In recent months, there have been temporary shutdowns in the Okanagan interior and on Vancouver island, largely due to staffing challenges. Charlene Louie, president of Doctors of bc, says recruiting and retaining ER staff can be especially difficult.

[Susan Bonner]

The er, as I'm sure you can recognize, is a very stressful place and it is very intense. It takes a lot of dedication for our workers, for our physicians to work in the emergency department. Things can go from good to bad very quickly.

[Yasmin Renea]

The B.C. government is taking steps to address these challenges with efforts to better prevent stress and burnout of health care workers and launching an international recruiting drive. Since March, the province has been working to recruit health care workers from the US. Health Minister Josie Osborne says more than 140 workers have already accepted positions.

[Katie Nicholson]

This is a long term issue that we've got to really build out the healthcare workforce so that we don't see these kinds of disruptions.

[Yasmin Renea]

A long term strategy that could mean more ER closures in the meantime. Yasmeen Ranaya, CBC News, Delta, British Columbia.

[Susan Bonner]

The fate of Marineland's 30 beluga whales is looking bleak tonight. The Niagara Falls amusement park is threatening to euthanize the animals after the federal government denied an overseas transfer. The park is now closed and looking for emergency funding, but Ottawa says it won't help with that either. Lisa Shing has more on the whale's limited options.

[Paige Desorbo]

Once a major tourist attraction, Marineland's beluga whales now act risk of being euthanized after the federal government blocked the park from sending them to an aquarium in China. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson I have been.

[Susan Bonner]

Just slightly back and forth with counterpart in Ontario and certainly support their work on solutions.

[Paige Desorbo]

The Ontario government responsible for animal welfare, also grappling with what to do. Premier Doug Ford if you got a.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Big enough swimming pool, I'll stick the whales there. But the feds need to step in and help us out.

[Paige Desorbo]

The theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which closed to the public last year, was subject to controversy with animal rights activists. And a 2019 federal ban undermined its business model of using captive whales for entertainment.

[Narrator/Reporter]

These belugas underscores the need.

[Paige Desorbo]

Now finding a solution isn't so easy. Some want them sent to a proposed sanctuary off the coast of Nova Scotia. Charles Vinick is the CEO of the Whale Sanctuary Project.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is a bay that really can sustain a long term engagement of these whales and can sustain having a sanctuary in that environment. That we can maintain safely.

[Paige Desorbo]

But that $15 million effort is stalled. Property owners beside the proposed location aren't in favor of the project. And there are other challenges. At a similar preserve in Iceland, two belugas named Little White and Little Gray have struggled to adjust, spending more than 90% of their time indoors in a tank, according to marine biologist Javier Almunya.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Everything is different. The weather conditions are changing, the temperature is changing. I will not be sure that we can guarantee the welfare of the animals in a sanctuary. Maybe with more research in the future we will be able to do that, but that will be an option for animals in maybe 10 or 20 years. It's not an option for animals tomorrow.

[Paige Desorbo]

And if adapting to a sanctuary setting is complicated, some scientists say a future fully in the wild would be devastating. Andrew Trites is the director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Of British Columbia, something they never adapted to. They get rejected by other animals and they're really looking at a life of starvation, loneliness.

[Paige Desorbo]

Even though there's currently no clear solution, some experts say their best chance is to somehow keep the belugas in a tank with human interaction, since that's the only life they've ever known. Lisa Shing, CBC News, Toronto.

[Susan Bonner]

Authorities in California charged a 29 year old man with starting a fire earlier this year that became the most destructive in Los Angeles history. They say the man intentionally lit the fire on New Year's Day. It was mostly extinguished by firefighters, but smoldered underground and reignited in high winds. A week later, that fire destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and killed a dozen people. Acting U.S. attorney Bill essay Lee says there's evidence that Jonathan Rindernacht was fascinated by wildfires and lied about where he was when the fire started.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As the world watched in horror as the Palisades fire burned, victims perished in the smoke and flames. Homes where cherished family memories and belongings were turned to rubble and ash. The iconic Pacific coast highway along Malibu looked like a war zone. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate. Though homes and businesses cannot be rebuilt. This arrest, we hope, will provide a measure of justice to all those who were impacted.

[Susan Bonner]

Authorities say the fire was likely started by a lighter. This is yous 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. Cryptocurrency ATMs are becoming a more common sight in convenience stores and cafes. Canada reportedly has the most per capita in the world. And some of the biggest customers are fraudsters using the machines to get your money. Vara Merali has the story.

[Hannah Berner]

They look and sound like regular cash machines, but crypto ATMs let you deposit cash and convert it to a form of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. The funds can be sent anywhere, instantly to anyone with a digital wallet. You don't need a bank account or in some cases even an ID to use one. But according to a report we obtained from Canada's financial watchdog Fintrac, crypto ATMs are the number one way fraudsters are getting money out of victims in this country.

[Susan Bonner]

I was just so upset after all this happened.

[Hannah Berner]

Brenda Smith, one of those victims, the Calgary Sr. Was the target of an elaborate scam a few months after she had a stroke. The 76 year old lost $12,000.

[Katie Nicholson]

When you're a senior on pensions.

[Hannah Berner]

That'S.

[Katie Nicholson]

A lot of money.

[Hannah Berner]

CBC News spoke to multiple fraud victims like Smith. The common thread. The scam begins with a phone call, text or email from someone claiming to be an official authority like the CRA or police claiming cash is owed urgently. They're given step by step instructions on how to deposit the funds into one of these machines and which lands in the digital wallet of the fraudster.

[Narrator/Reporter]

They really, really prey upon vulnerable communities who don't really understand what cryptocurrency is.

[Hannah Berner]

Detective David Coffey with Toronto Police's fraud unit says they get calls about these scams daily. The Canadian Anti Fraud Centre says last year Canadians lost more than $14 million through frauds involving crypto ATMs. But Coffey says that doesn't even include police reports.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So any number like that you can multiply by 10 or 20 to get a true grasp of the problem that we're facing.

[Hannah Berner]

CBC News spoke with nearly a dozen former employees of crypto ATM companies. All said fraud is a known problem with these machines. Sam Mukbal, president of the crypto company hodl, denies they profit from fraud.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We're not in this business to facilitate fraud and none of the operators are.

[Hannah Berner]

Crypto ATM companies are classified as money services businesses, meaning they follow rules like registering with Fintrac and reporting large transactions. But there are no regulations specific to these machines. Meanwhile, many US states and Australia have introduced daily machine transaction limits and the UK has effectively banned them. Minister of Finance Francois Philippe Champagne told CBC News his government is reviewing options.

[Katie Nicholson]

We're looking very much at all the.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Matters that we should strengthen our laws in Canada.

[Hannah Berner]

Fintrac denied our request for an interview and didn't answer questions about what, if anything, it's doing to address the conclusions in its own report. Far Amar Rally, CBC News, Toronto.

[Susan Bonner]

We close tonight with a very good boy coming to the rescue. Like a real life Lassie. Lassie, Where's Timmy, girl? Where's Timmy, Mom?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Graham.

[Susan Bonner]

The old TV series always seemed a bit far fetched, but a dog in Florida recently proved it can happen.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She never takes more than 10 or 15 minutes. It's almost an hour now. It's over an hour now.

[Susan Bonner]

Okay, do you know what that's. Officer? Body cam footage released by police in Okaloosa county in the Florida Panhandle. An 86 year old man called 911 after his wife didn't return from walking the family dog, Eeyore. The officer started searching the empty streets. It was late, dark, and suddenly there was Eeyore.

[Tom Perry]

There's the dog.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Hi, baby.

[Yasmin Renea]

Hi, baby.

[Susan Bonner]

Where's your mama? Just like Lassie, scratching at the door to tell Gramps that Timmy was in trouble. The dog ran up to the officer's patrol car and started leading her to the woman who. Who had fallen on a sidewalk and couldn't get up.

[Tom Perry]

Show me.

[Hannah Berner]

Ma', am.

[Susan Bonner]

Can you tell me what happened?

[Hannah Berner]

Okay.

[Narrator/Reporter]

If the dog brought you, he would believe.

[Susan Bonner]

He kept coming back to me. He ran up to my car and I said, bring me to your mommy. And he ran back here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He come up to your car. Good boy, sweetheart. Good boy.

[Susan Bonner]

Police say paramedics arrived to assist the woman who was expected to recover from her fall. Thank you for joining us on youn World Tonight for Wednesday, October 8th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Foreign.

[Tom Perry]

For more CBC Podcasts, go to CBC CA Podcasts.