Bank of Canada rate cut, adding citizenship to driver’s licenses, Trump gets royal reception, and more

Summary

Podcast Summary: Your World Tonight (CBC)

Episode: Bank of Canada rate cut, adding citizenship to driver’s licenses, Trump gets royal reception, and more
Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: Susan Bonner & Stephanie Skenderis (main: Susan Bonner)
Duration: ~25 minutes

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Overview

This episode of Your World Tonight offers an in-depth look at significant news stories of the day from a Canadian perspective. Key topics include the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cut amid a faltering economy wounded by U.S. tariffs, the controversy over Alberta’s plan to add citizenship status to driver’s licenses, sexual abuse charges at a Nova Scotia youth center, Trump’s royal reception in the UK, escalating violence in Gaza, rising extreme heat days in Canada, and a viral social media figure helping people identify bird calls.

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Key Topics & Insights

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1. Bank of Canada Rate Cut and Economic Outlook

[00:52–07:14]

• Background:
  The Bank of Canada reduced its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.5% to boost a sluggish economy suffering from U.S. tariffs.

  • “Sales are down probably 25%, if not more. Tariffs and trade deals. We need that to be behind us as soon as possible.” – Jonathan Azzopardy (02:30)

• Immediate Effects and Perspectives:

  • Businesses are trimming jobs; manufacturing sectors are hit especially hard.
  • RBC’s chief economist Eric Lasell: "It's probably appropriate to have interest rates a little bit lower to provide some support." (03:37)
  • Variable-rate mortgage holders, like Mesbah Mahtab, see instant, albeit small, relief: “Anywhere from 50 to $80 will come back…my mortgage will go down.” – Mesbah Mahtab (04:14)
  • Uncertainty remains if cuts will spur investment: “Not going to make anybody…jump out of their seat and start doing investments.” – Business Owner (04:29)

• Analysis & Challenges:

  • Peter Armstrong (CBC): The Bank avoided promises of further cuts, citing “so many unknowns”—including inflation, federal government spending, and ongoing tariff instability (05:24).
  • The effectiveness of a single cut is questioned, but Armstrong argues even small margin changes can help businesses retain employees and allow households to spend more, aiding weathering of the economic storm (06:15).

• Comparisons and Political Dialogue:

  • U.S. Federal Reserve also cut rates, but U.S. and Canadian economies are facing different stages of impact from tariffs (06:39).
  • Politically, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre criticizes deficit spending; PM Mark Carney maintains Canada’s fundamentals are strong and lower rates signal fiscal resilience (07:34–09:12).
  • Finance Minister Champagne champions ongoing investment to make Canada “less reliant on the US” and hints at “generational investments” coming in the federal budget (09:12–10:11).

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2. Alberta’s Plan to Add Citizenship to Driver’s Licenses: Debate and Privacy Concerns

[14:04–17:21]

• Policy Details:
  Alberta plans to include “CAN” (Canadian citizen) on driver’s licenses and ID cards, aiming to streamline access to services and voting.

• Concerns Raised:

  • Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod: “The citizenship information is sensitive information… More information, more risk to individuals.” (14:25, 15:04)
  • Daniel Bernhard (Institute for Canadian Citizenship): “It injects a great degree of innuendo… suggesting that immigrants are here trying to claim benefits and use services to which they have no entitlement.” (15:46)
  • Risks highlighted include potential discrimination and fostering a climate of suspicion towards immigrants.
  • McEwen University’s Brendan Boyd notes, “Most studies will show that voter fraud is not really a large issue,” suggesting the policy may be importing U.S.-style concerns northwards (16:58).

• Government’s Rationale:
  Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Dale Nally argue it ensures access to services for citizens and strengthens election integrity.

  • “We live in Canada, there will be no discrimination.” – Dale Nally (16:39)

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3. Nova Scotia Youth Center Abuse Scandal

[11:07–13:54]

• Revelations:
  Former swim instructor Donald Douglas Williams is charged with 66 counts of sexual assault and related crimes over a 30-year period at a provincial youth facility.

  • RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob McCammon: “We’ve interviewed hundreds of survivors… reviewed over 9,800 seized documents totaling more than 740,000 pages.” (12:41)

• Victim Testimony:
  Gannim Harb describes abuse and the haunting, lifelong effects:

  • “That's supposed to be a place where we're supposed to be rehabilitated, not ruined. And that's exactly what it did.” (13:45)

• Legal and Social Implications:
  Class-action lawyer Mike Dahl questions how such abuse persisted unchecked, pointing to systemic disbelief of troubled youth.

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4. Trump’s Royal Visit to the UK & Protests

[17:21–21:20]

• State Welcome:
  Donald Trump met with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and senior royals at Windsor Castle amidst heavy ceremony.

  • “It was an elaborate exercise sure to appeal to Trump's sense of self importance.” – Chris Brown (18:35)
  • Day ended with celebratory toasts: “As we celebrate this unparalleled partnership, allow me to propose a toast to President Trump.” – King Charles (20:52)
    Trump: “This is truly one of the highest honors of my life.” (21:06)

• Contrasts:

  • Outside: Large, noisy protests with placards calling Trump a “second predator” and accusing him of racism and complicity in Palestinian deaths (19:42).
  • Inside: subdued support, focus on U.S.–UK ties, new trade commitments, and an emphasis from analyst Anand Manon that Britain’s PM Kr Starmer “will probably be quite happy with what he’s had today” (20:41).

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5. Global News: Gaza & Navalny

[17:21–21:20]

• Gaza:
  Thousands of Palestinians flee intensified Israeli bombardment, with humanitarian corridors criticized as offering poor conditions (17:21).

• Navalny:
  Yulia Navalnya, widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, claims proof her husband was murdered in prison, blaming Putin and urging labs to publish test results.

  • “Alexei was my husband. He was my friend. He was a symbol of hope for our country. Putin killed that hope.” – Yulia Navalnya (21:50)

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6. Climate Change: Extreme Heat Days on the Rise

[22:06–25:04]

• Research Findings:

  • Canadians experienced an average of 39 “risky heat days” this summer, defined as above the 90th percentile of local historic temperatures.
  • Nathan Gillett (Environment & Climate Change Canada): “Heat waves were at least twice as likely because of human induced climate change.” (23:11)
  • The most extreme event: August heat wave in Atlantic Canada, “10 times more likely by human induced climate change.” (23:24)

• Health & Adaptation:

  • Elderly, children, and those with certain conditions are particularly vulnerable; social safety nets and cooling options are key.
  • Jennifer Vanos (Arizona State): “What is their ability to adapt… social capital, air conditioning, policies to protect outdoor workers…” (24:24)

• Wider Effects:
  Hossein Bonakdari (Ottawa): “Heat waves mean drought… drought leads to wildfire… wildfire [generates] CO2… and all the climate change.” (24:54)

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7. Human Interest: Bird Calls & Social Media Fame

[25:15–26:45]

• Profile:
  Becca Rowland of Halifax helps people recognize bird calls by associating them with familiar sounds and songs (e.g., Price Is Right theme equals grasshopper sparrow).
  • “It's just a way of framing the sound so that you remember it so then you know what that bird is.” – Becca Rowland (25:22)
  • She’s amassed a vast TikTok and Instagram following and published a book: Bird Talk, Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds they make.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Sales are down probably 25%, if not more. Tariffs and trade deals. We need that to be behind us…” – Jonathan Azzopardy, auto parts manufacturer (02:30)
• “It's probably appropriate to have interest rates a little bit lower to provide some support.” – Eric Lasell, RBC (03:39)
• “Not going to make anybody…jump out of their seat and start doing investments like let's not fool ourselves.” – Windsor business owner (04:29)
• “It injects a great degree of innuendo into the conversation about immigration…” – Daniel Bernhard (15:46)
• “We’ve interviewed hundreds of survivors… over 9,800 seized documents totaling more than 740,000 pages.” – RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob McCammon (12:41)
• “It's time for the sun. What more could I ask for? I need to get as much of the sun as possible…” – Interviewee on summer heat (22:49)
• “If it sounds like dragging a stick down a wooden fence, it's a double crested cormorant…” – Becca Rowland (25:51)
• “That's supposed to be a place where we're supposed to be rehabilitated, not ruined. And that's exactly what it did. It just ruined a bunch of us.” – Gannim Harb, abuse survivor (13:45)
• “Alexei was my husband…He was a symbol of hope for our country. Putin killed that hope.” – Yulia Navalnya (21:50)

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Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |---------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Bank of Canada rate cut & economic outlook | 00:52–07:14 | | Political reaction to economic policy | 07:14–10:11 | | Nova Scotia youth facility abuse charges | 11:07–13:54 | | Alberta driver's license citizenship controversy | 14:04–17:21 | | Israel–Gaza update, Trump’s royal UK visit | 17:21–21:20 | | Navalny murder allegations | 21:20–22:06 | | Extreme heat days & climate science | 22:06–25:04 | | Human interest: Bird calls social media phenom | 25:15–26:45 |

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Overall Tone:
Analytical, journalistic, and at times personal or reflective, especially in interviews and survivor stories. The hosts and correspondents blend factual reporting with context and emotional resonance.

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Recommended For:
Listeners seeking comprehensive, nuanced coverage of key Canadian and international news stories in under 30 minutes, with a balance of hard news, policy analysis, and human stories.

Transcript

[Narrator/Host]

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[Kayla Hounsell]

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[Narrator/Host]

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[Anand Ram]

Follow World Report wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tom Perry]

This is a CBC podcast.

[Narrator/Host]

I think the industry in general is hurting pretty bad. The manufacturing in Canada has really nothing good. No good stories to tell. The trade war hasn't gotten any better. It's likely gotten worse as Canadian companies.

[Susan Bonner]

Slash jobs and households trim their spending. The latest cut comes from the bank of Canada reducing its benchmark interest rate, a move that may provide a bit of relief to a Canadian economy being chopped up by U.S. tariffs. Welcome to youo World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Wednesday, September 17, just before 6pm Eastern. Also on the podcast, what it does.

[Peter Armstrong]

Is inject a great degree of innuendo by suggesting that immigrants are trying to claim benefits and use services to which they have no entitlement.

[Susan Bonner]

Date of birth, Eye color, Height, citizenship. Alberta wants to include the status on its new driver's license to improve access to services and reduce voter fraud, but critics say that's handing over too much information and it could lead to discrimination. It may provide relief, but it also reflects concern about the Canadian economy. Battered by US Tariffs, the Bank of Canada is trying to spark economic activity with a cut to its key lending rate. Few regions need that boost more than the auto manufacturing hub of Windsor, Ontario. That's where Jennifer lagrassa kicks off our coverage tonight.

[Narrator/Host]

It hasn't gotten any better.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

Long story short, just outside Windsor, Ontario, in the town of Tecumseh, Jonathan Azzopardy is the president of auto parts mold manufact manufacturer Laval Tool. The trade war, he says, is killing business.

[Narrator/Host]

Sales are down probably 25%, if not more. Tariffs and trade deals. We need that to be behind us, and we need it behind us as soon as possible.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

Tariffs have stifled business in Windsor, an automotive manufacturing hub, leaving it with the highest unemployment rate in the country. Dire situations like this, which are playing out across Canada, including in the steel, aluminum and lumber sectors, are largely what drove the bank of Canada's interest rate.

[Narrator/Host]

Decision to Governing Council has been proceeding carefully, paying particular attention to the risks and uncertainties facing the Canadian economy.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

Governor Tiff Macklem cut the interest rate by 25 basis points, bringing it to 2.5%. It's a move that could offer relief for some amid Canada's slow economy.

[Chris Brown]

Considerable uncertainty remains.

[Narrator/Host]

But with a weaker economy and less upside risk to inflation, Governing Council judged.

[Chris Brown]

That a reduction in the policy rate was appropriate.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

With exports down, inflation at 1.9% and more than 100,000 jobs lost across the country in recent months, experts expected to see a rate cut.

[Narrator/Host]

It's probably appropriate to have interest rates.

[Chris Brown]

A little bit lower to provide some support.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

Eric Lasell is RBC's chief economist for Global Asset Management in Toronto. This cut is the central bank's first since March. While Lassell says cutting the rate earlier might have been better, there was too much uncertainty.

[Narrator/Host]

One of the challenges with monetary policy is it takes some time for an.

[Anand Ram]

Interest rate move to fully trickle its.

[Narrator/Host]

Way into the economy.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

And while that might be the case for businesses, people with loans, specifically variable rate mortgage holders, will instantly feel some relief. Welcome news for Mesbah Mahtab in Whitby, Ontario.

[Peter Armstrong]

I think from my calculations, anywhere from.

[Narrator/Host]

50 to $80 will come back like.

[Peter Armstrong]

My mortgage will go down.

[Narrator/Host]

Every little bit obviously helps.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

And while some economists predict more rate cuts are on the way, without a stable market, business owners like as a party of Laval tools aren't sure how much they'll help right now.

[Narrator/Host]

Not going to make anybody, you know, jump out of their seat and start doing investments like let's not fool ourselves. That's likely not going to happen.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

He worries that the longer businesses are caught in the crossfire of this trade war, the more injuries that they might never recover from. With heightened uncertainty, Governor Macklem didn't hint at what's to come with the interest rate decision in October. Jennifer lagrassa, CBC News, Windsor, Ontario.

[Susan Bonner]

Senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong is tracking all of this. Peter, the bank does not have a lot of time until that next rate announcement in August, October, which is just before the federal budget, I think.

[Peter Armstrong]

Susan, in large part that is why the bank of Canada Governor Chip Macklem, works so hard to try to avoid getting pinned down on any commitment to future rate cuts. There are still so many unknowns here. Usually the bank has some kind of a line in there about if economic conditions weaken, the bank is prepared to cut rates further. There's none of that here.

[Susan Bonner]

What are the main unknowns that he's worried about?

[Peter Armstrong]

I think there are a few key ones. Risk of inflation, obviously. But as you say, the federal government's promised a ton of spending. We don't have A budget yet. So that makes it hard to plan for. And then we just don't know what may happen day to day, week to week on trade, tariffs could be lifted, they could be expanded. We just don't know.

[Susan Bonner]

So then how does the bank of Canada calculate these decisions?

[Peter Armstrong]

Yeah, Macklem talked a lot today about, you know, the shifting balance of risks. And what he means by that is the bank was worried about inflation. Its key concern is now growth. The economy needs support, and it needs to, you know, get that support. So starting a rate cut cycle will help.

[Susan Bonner]

Rate cut cycle. I was wondering how much a single cut can really help. We heard in Jennifer's piece the business owner and the mortgage holder, they're not going to see a huge benefit here.

[Peter Armstrong]

No, but small changes on the margin can make a big difference when you scale that out over the the population across the country, if those businesses spend even a little bit less on debt payments, they can maybe afford to keep an employee or even hire someone extra. If those households have a little bit extra money sloshing around, they can spend without as much fear. It doesn't make the problem go away, but it does help them weather the storm a bit longer.

[Susan Bonner]

South of the border. The US Central bank, the Federal Reserve, cut rates today as well. Peter, is this just a tale of two central banks?

[Peter Armstrong]

You know, look, I think the US Economy is in a very different place. You know, until quite recently, the American economy hadn't seen any real damage from these tariffs. Indeed, the Trump administration has gone to great lengths to stay at this point still that there is no cost to the tariffs, that they're only a good thing. But we're seeing job growth slowing, we're seeing cracks appearing. So the question is becoming, was the pain and cost of the tariffs averted or merely delayed?

[Susan Bonner]

Thank you, Peter.

[Peter Armstrong]

You bet.

[Susan Bonner]

CBC senior business correspondent Peter Armstrong here in Toronto. The rate cut and Canada's shaky economy are also getting a lot of attention in Ottawa with Prime Minister Mark Carney facing questions about the finances of the federal government heading into his first budget. Tom Perry has that part of the story.

[Narrator/Host]

Deficits drive up inflation, grocery prices, housing costs, and interest rates. They drive out.

[Tom Perry]

For Conservative leader Pierre Paliev, it's a familiar and effective line of attack. Going after Prime Minister Mark Carney the same way he went after his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, taking a hard line on deficit spending. That, to Paliev, is both irresponsible and out of control.

[Narrator/Host]

We're six months in. Does he even know the size of his own deficit?

[Tom Perry]

Carney has repeatedly vowed to rein in program spending while boosting investment in areas like infrastructure, housing and the military. The Liberals say it's all about strengthening the economy, but they warn it will add up to a substantial deficit. Though Carney insists the economic fundamentals in Canada remain firm, the leader of the opposition just mentioned interest rates. One thing I know is that Canadian interest rates are much lower than American interest rates.

[Susan Bonner]

They're lower because this country's fiscal situation is strong, because this government has a.

[Tom Perry]

Plan to grow this economy. Poiliev says falling rates are a sign the economy is slowing to the point of collapse. And while that may be an exaggeration, the bank of Canada says its rate cut today does come in response to a weaker economy as the country struggles struggles under U.S. tariffs and an unpredictable U.S. trade policy. It's that unpredictability that's driving the federal government's push to spend heavily on programs it hopes will make the country more resilient and less reliant on the US.

[Narrator/Host]

It is sad, I would say, that our largest trading partner turned its back on Canada, which has led to us having to reassess how we're going to build the economy of the future.

[Tom Perry]

That Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne today welcomed the bank of Canada's rate cut while once again lamenting a trading relationship that's been thrown into disarray. The government is continuing its efforts to reach a deal with Washington on tariffs and is expected to announce soon it's launching public consultations on a formal review of the Canada US Mexico Free Trade Agreement. As for the budget set to be tabled Nov. 4, Champagne says it will contain what he calls the generational investments aimed at reinventing the Canadian economy. If that sounds expensive, it's because it is, and the opposition is not convinced it will all be worth the price. Tom Perry, CBC News, Ottawa.

[Susan Bonner]

Coming right up, a former Nova Scotia swimming instructor facing dozens of sex related charges dating back decades and identifying concerns with Alberta's proposed new driver's license. The province's privacy commissioner is raising questions about the decision to include citizenship status on the card. Later, we'll have this story.

[Anand Ram]

Summer days are soon gone, but Canadians felt extreme heat from coast to coast to coast. And two new studies suggest we could see more in the years to come.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

We expect June, July, August to be.

[Susan Bonner]

The times of year when people experience.

[Jennifer Lagrassa]

These risky heat days. Some of that is natural.

[Susan Bonner]

But climate change, climate change is loading the dice.

[Anand Ram]

I'm Anand Ram in Toronto. Coming up on YOUR WORLD tonight, the days of risky heat that Canadians went through and what future Summers might look like.

[Susan Bonner]

RCMP and Nova Scotia have charged a man with dozens of counts of sexual assault, most of them involving boys, at the province's youth correctional facility. The man was the swim instructor there for nearly 30 years. Investigators say there are hundreds of victims. Kayla Hounsell reports.

[Narrator/Host]

It's good news, like it should have been done a long time ago.

[Kayla Hounsell]

Gannim Harb says he was a rebellious kid. His home life not great. Now 49 years old, he says he was around 16 or 17 when he was incarcerated at the Nova Scotia Youth Center. He didn't like swimming there because of the instructor, Donald Douglas Williams.

[Anand Ram]

He was just a creepy dude, man.

[Narrator/Host]

And when he'd help you learn how to swim, that was the worst because, you know, his hands would move in different directions under the water and was just disgusting.

[Kayla Hounsell]

Today charges because of the bravery and.

[Anand Ram]

Patience of those who've come forward to report the sexual abuse they suffered while at the Nova Scotia Youth center so many years ago, we've been able to arrest and charge their perpetrator.

[Kayla Hounsell]

RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob McCammon says Williams is facing 66 charges, including sexual assault, causing bodily harm, sexual exploitation and invitation to sexual touching. Williams was the swim instructor at the correctional facility from 1988 to 2017. Police believe there are more than 300 survivors. McCammon was often overcome with emotion and as he explained the complexity of the.

[Anand Ram]

Case to date, we've interviewed hundreds of survivors of witnesses across Canada. We've reviewed over 9,800 seized documents totaling more than 740,000 pages.

[Kayla Hounsell]

McCammon says more charges are expected. The current ones relate to 30 individuals. Haarb was not one of them, but he is part of a class action lawsuit.

[Anand Ram]

This case has mushroomed.

[Kayla Hounsell]

Mike Dahl is the Halifax lawyer leading the class action. He wants to know how the kind of abuse being alleged could continue for 30 years without others knowing and says troubled youth are inherently vulnerable.

[Narrator/Host]

It allows institution or surrounding staff to sort of doubt the validity of contemporaneous allegations. We don't believe you because of who you are.

[Kayla Hounsell]

In a statement, Nova Scotia's justice minister said her department is cooperating fully with the investigation.

[Narrator/Host]

I don't go swimming anymore.

[Kayla Hounsell]

Ghana. Harb says he's clean now, but he's been in and out of jail most of his life and is currently sleeping in a tent.

[Narrator/Host]

That's supposed to be a place where we're supposed to be rehabilitated, not ruined. And that's exactly what it did. It just ruined a bunch of us.

[Kayla Hounsell]

Now he hopes the man he says hurt him when he was an incarcerated youth. Winds up behind bars himself for a long time. Kayla Hounsall, CBC News, Halifax.

[Susan Bonner]

There's a lot of personal information on a driver's license. Alberta now wants the ID cards to include citizenship status. Officials say it will make it easier for Albertans to access services and vote. But as Julia Wong reports, the move is raising serious questions about privacy and the potential for discrimination.

[Narrator/Host]

The citizenship information is sensitive information. Alberta's Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod is questioning a plan by the provincial government to mark citizenship status on provincial driver's licenses and ID cards. The move, announced Monday, will see the letters can included on IDs if the person is a Canadian citizen. It is unclear to me why the.

[Susan Bonner]

Government has decided to add this piece.

[Narrator/Host]

Of information to this regularly used form of identification. McLeod is raising privacy concerns and security risks. It's more information, more risk to individuals.

[Susan Bonner]

If that information can be used to harm them, including by identity theft and fraud.

[Narrator/Host]

Do you see any benefits in your eyes?

[Susan Bonner]

I don't see any benefits in my eyes, but again, without understanding what the government is doing, I cannot weigh in on it.

[Narrator/Host]

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has previously said citizenship information on IDs would streamline access to social services such as student aid and disability benefits. Wednesday, she doubled down on why that information needs to be shared. They're very costly, expensive services that we have to make sure that we're prioritizing those who are Canadian citizens first. Daniel Bernhard with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship worries about the message being conveyed about newcomers.

[Peter Armstrong]

What it does is inject a great degree of innuendo into the conversation about immigration by suggesting that immigrants are here trying to claim benefits and use services to which they have no entitlement.

[Narrator/Host]

ID needs to be shown at liquor stores, bars, and if you're pulled over while driving, bernhardt says adding sensitive information to them could lead to more tension and more discrimination.

[Peter Armstrong]

I mean, the immigration conversation in Canada has become particularly charged in recent years, and it's now starting to starting to get much more vitriolic. It's taken a dark turn. Canada needs immigrants far more than they need us. And if we're sending them the message that they're not welcome here or that they're somehow intrinsically suspicious, the big losers are not the immigrants who decide to go elsewhere.

[Narrator/Host]

Service. Alberta Minister Dale Nally dismissed concerns because.

[Anand Ram]

We live in Canada, there will be no discrimination.

[Narrator/Host]

Smith also says having citizenship information on IDs will help with election integrity, since only Canadian citizens can vote. McEwen University Political science professor Brendan Boyd says there could be other forces at play. Most studies will show that voter fraud.

[Tom Perry]

Is not really a large issue or a significant issue.

[Narrator/Host]

And so it does kind of seem like, you know, some of the stuff that comes from the United States over.

[Tom Perry]

Election fraud and questioning elections is starting.

[Narrator/Host]

To make its way north of the border. I guess the change on ID cards will roll out late next year. Julia Wong, CBC News, Edmonton.

[Susan Bonner]

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. Thousands of Palestinians are heading south to escape Israel's assault on Gaza City. Israel has intensified its bombardment, striking more than 150 targets in two days in support of ground troops. The stated goal? To defeat Hamas and free the remaining hostages. Israel says it has opened a route to designated humanitarian zones. The United nations and other countries have said the conditions in those zones are dire, with limited food, shelter and medical care. A royal welcome and rowdy protests marked Donald Trump's arrival to the UK. The US President is there for his second state visit to Britain, where there's a contrast between the pomp and ceremony at Windsor Castle and angry demonstrations in the streets. Chris Brown has that story.

[Chris Brown]

As Donald Trump choppered in from his overnight stop in London, waiting at Windsor Castle to greet him was King Charles and Queen Camilla. Prince William and Princess Kate were there too. In fact, the palace appeared to pull out all of the soft power touches it has. There were more fancy carriages, more mounted troops in colorful red uniforms, and more military bands than perhaps the 1000 year old castle has ever seen. All coming together in a royal procession that escorted the Trumps around the castle grounds. Donald Trump then walked amongst the red tunic soldiers as he inspected the guard of Honor. It was an elaborate exercise sure to appeal to Trump's sense of self importance. Outside the inside the castle, protesters mixed with a few supporters. Augustine Obodo is with a group called Friends of Trump uk.

[Tom Perry]

I'm staking my life for Trump because.

[Narrator/Host]

He'S our son and we love Trump.

[Chris Brown]

The crowd of protesters that marched through central London in opposition was far larger, with most people carrying signs, some of them obscene, that called Trump a second predator, a racist, and that he's complicit in killing Palestinians because he's a strong supporter of Israel. Michaela Demes is a US Student studying in Britain.

[Narrator/Host]

I think it'll inflate his ego even further. He's under some delusion that the world loves him.

[Chris Brown]

The United States, though, is Britain's most important military ally and its largest trading partner. And driving both points home was a military flyover and announcements of major new investments by tech companies in the UK Though they differ on NATO commitments, support for Ukraine. And they come from opposite sides of the political spectrum. Political scientist Anand Manon says Britain's Keir Starmer has so far succeeded at keeping Trump on side.

[Peter Armstrong]

We, of course, got what we call.

[Chris Brown]

A trade deal, which is basically a.

[Narrator/Host]

Piece of paper that implies we're going to have lower tariffs than the European Union.

[Peter Armstrong]

So in that sense, at least then, I think Starmer will probably be quite happy with what he's had today.

[Chris Brown]

As we celebrate this unparalleled partnership, allow me to propose a toast to President Trump. The day ended with King Charles toasting Donald Trump at a state dinner.

[Narrator/Host]

But this is truly one of the.

[Chris Brown]

Highest honors of my life and Trump returning the praise. Lots could still go wrong. This day was about spectacle. Thursday is for business. Chris Brown, CBC News, London.

[Susan Bonner]

The wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says there is proof that he was murdered. Navalny died suddenly in February last year in a Russian prison. He was 47. Yulia Navalnia released a video saying two foreign labs carried out tests on biological samples to determine how he died. She blames Russ President Vladimir Putin, and she says the labs are afraid to make their findings public for political reasons.

[Narrator/Host]

Alexei was my husband. He was my friend. He was a symbol of hope for our country. Putin killed that hope. We have the right to know how he did it. I demand that the labs that conducted the analysis publish their results.

[Susan Bonner]

The Kremlin denied knowing anything about Navalnya's claims. They are the long, hot and potentially dangerous days of summer. Scientists call them extreme heat days. And new research suggests because of climate change, there are more and more of them on the calendar. Anand Ram breaks down the data for us and the impact on our health.

[Anand Ram]

Head out in a heat wave and you're gonna hear this side of the story.

[Narrator/Host]

I love the heat. I love it. We endured the rain. It's time for the sun. What more could I ask for? I need to get as much of.

[Anand Ram]

The sun as possible and he might get his wish. Summers like the one we just went through with days of extreme heat. That's the focus of two new studies that looked at the last few months. Nathan Gillett is a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change, Canada.

[Narrator/Host]

In regions in the west and in the east, those heat waves were at least twice as likely because of human induced climate change.

[Anand Ram]

And his analysis found one particular heat wave in August affecting Atlantic provinces that.

[Narrator/Host]

Was the most extreme event of the summer.

[Anand Ram]

The temperatures there were made at least.

[Narrator/Host]

10 times more likely by human induced climate change.

[Susan Bonner]

Some of that is natural, but climate change is loading the dice.

[Anand Ram]

Christina Dahl is vice president of science at the US Nonprofit Climate Central. Her new research found Canadians on average this summer had 39 so called risky heat days.

[Susan Bonner]

We defined risky heat as being heat that is hotter than 90% of the temperatures you typically experience in your local area. So that looks different if you're sitting in Toronto than it does if you're sitting in San Diego or Los Angeles.

[Anand Ram]

In other words, days hotter than our bodies are used to living in and crossing into that risky territory means our health suffers. Jennifer Vanos studies extreme heat at Arizona State University.

[Narrator/Host]

It's really important to understand the relative nature of heat.

[Anand Ram]

The risk is greater for the elderly, children, those with underlying medical conditions or taking medications. And not being able to get out of the heat is another factor.

[Narrator/Host]

What is their ability to adapt in this situation? And that includes having air conditioning policies that protect outdoor workers. Thinking about your social capital, so what's your community that you can rely on when it is hot if you do get into a dangerous situation?

[Anand Ram]

The studies say that the carbon emissions that humans are pumping into the atmosphere are a kind of thumb on the scale, increasing the chances that such extreme days will be felt again. But there's another problem. Hossein Bonakdari with the University of Ottawa says it feeds into a loop.

[Narrator/Host]

Heat waves means drought conditions. Drought conditions lead us to the wildfire. Wildfire. CO2 production. CO2 production increased significantly and all the climate change.

[Anand Ram]

So as we add to global warming, summer heat waves from coast to coast to coast could stop being rare and start being regular. Anandharam, CBC News, Toronto.

[Susan Bonner]

We close tonight with a Halifax woman finding her calling by helping people identify bird calls.

[Narrator/Host]

It's not that. What I'm saying is the sound is the definitive sound. It's just a way of framing the sound so that you remember it so then you know what that bird is.

[Susan Bonner]

Becca Rowland explaining her method of matching bird calls with everyday sounds so people can pinpoint what species they're hearing. She makes short videos of her associations and animated bird drawings. They've attracted a massive following on TikTok and Instagram. Surprisingly, she doesn't tweet.

[Narrator/Host]

If it sounds like dragging a stick down a wooden fence, it's a double crested cormorant. If it sounds like it's saying Chicago, it's a confused California quail. If it sounds like the theme song from the Price Is Right, it's a grasshopper sparrow.

[Susan Bonner]

Rowland says she came up with the idea of linking bird song to theme songs and other recognizable sounds by watching her mom identify cardinals by ear. She says many followers have thanked her for helping them unlock a mystery.

[Narrator/Host]

There's a sound of a bird at their grandma's house when they were a kid, and they could never figure out what bird it was. And when I play the video, they're like, that's it. That's the bird that I remember from my childhood.

[Susan Bonner]

After Rowland's social media profile took flight, a book publisher came calling. Bird Talk, Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds they make was published this year. Thank you for joining us. This has been youn World Tonight for Wednesday, September 17th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again.

[Narrator/Host]

For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC CA podcasts.