Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations, Political violence in Manitoba, Jays vs Yankees, and more

Summary

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Your World Tonight – October 4, 2025

Hosts: Stephanie Skenderas & Paul Hunter
Duration: ~26 minutes
Episode Focus:
A wrap-up of major global and Canadian stories, including Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations, political violence in Manitoba, Jays vs. Yankees playoff fever, and more.

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Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, CBC’s “Your World Tonight” delivers a dynamic review of the day's most important stories: the latest hope for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, political turbulence marked by violence in Manitoba, a high-stakes Blue Jays playoff opener, and unique Canadian presence at U.S. air shows amid a federal shutdown. The show aims to provide not just headlines, but in-depth context and authentic voices from on the ground.

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1. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Negotiations

Segment start: 00:44

Key Points

• High hopes expressed: Israeli PM Netanyahu announced that a major breakthrough may be near, stating, “we are on the verge of a great achievement” (02:02).

• Peace talks context:

  • Ceasefire and hostage negotiations are moving to Cairo, with complicated issues to resolve—especially regarding Hamas disarmament, a sticking point for Israeli leadership and ignored in Hamas’s conditional acceptance.
  • Former U.S. President Donald Trump is active in pushing the deal, posting:
    “Hamas must move quickly or else all bets will be off… I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat” (02:41).

• Hostage families in Israel:

  • From Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, families remain hopeful yet wary after so many broken promises.
  • Quote: Jasmine Argaman, Hostage family member:
    “I’m shaking here. I believe, you know, I believe the time is now. We want these families to have a good ending. The hostages, they deserve to be home, enough... I want to believe” (03:47).
  • Large, energetic rally in Tel Aviv: thousands chanting “bring them home,” even some in “I heart Donald Trump” shirts.

• Perspective from Gaza:

  • Local man, via translator:
    “I’m not optimistic. I will only feel optimistic when the agreement has been directly implemented. An agreement on paper... doesn’t convince me” (04:55).
  • Humanitarian urgency remains with much devastation and deprivation after two years of war.

• Tensions high as the second anniversary of the conflict’s start approaches.

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2. Canadians Detained After Gaza Flotilla

Segment: 05:28

• Two Canadians are among those detained when a flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza was intercepted by Israel. Israeli authorities say over 470 activists were arrested.
• Canada’s foreign ministry is still working to determine the total number of Canadians involved.

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3. Syrian Parliamentary Elections

Segment: 06:31

Key Discussion Points

• First elections since Assad’s ouster: Bashar al-Assad was forced to flee in December 2024, ending five decades of family rule.
• Flawed process:
  • Parliament selections made by a mix of electoral colleges and appointments by President Ahmed Al Shara (a former rebel leader).
  • Critics highlight: no true democracy, risk of manipulation, underrepresentation of minorities and women.
• Quote:
  • “We wished for direct elections, but the country’s current conditions... and millions of Syrians being outside... prevented this,” says Ghassan al Ghedir, parliamentary candidate (07:08).
  • Marcel Mohammed (Damascus):
    “Popular or not... when an authority appoints a parliament, the outcome is expected to reflect the mindset of the authority” (08:07).

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4. Czech Elections and Populism

Segment: 09:15

• Ex-PM Andrej Babiš's populist ANO party wins most parliamentary seats (35%), but falls short of majority.
• He pledges to stop Czech military support for Ukraine while opposition fears his Euroscepticism.

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5. Marineland’s Beluga Whale Crisis

Segment: 17:23

Highlights

• Ontario’s Marineland claims it cannot afford to care for 30 beluga whales, threatens euthanasia without federal help.
• Federal government blocked exporting whales to China, citing national legislation against captivity for entertainment (18:06).
• Moral and legal standoff:
  • Animal advocacy: “I think it’s morally reprehensible for Marineland to be holding the government of Canada hostage” – Aaron Ryan, World Animal Protection Canada (17:58).
  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford blames the feds, but Prof. Angela Fernandez points out the whales' welfare is a provincial responsibility (19:00):
    • “It’s really Doug Ford who needs to... seize the animals in the park... until a good plan can be worked out”.

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6. Political Violence in Manitoba

Segment: 19:39

Context

• Attacks and vandalism (including arson) at the offices of two First Nations cabinet ministers: Nahanni Fontaine and Bernadette Smith.

• Fontaine, under political fire for contentious comments, refuses to step down.

  • “I’m keeping the minister in cabinet because she’s a great minister and because I don’t believe in cancel culture.” – Premier Wab Kinew (20:42)

• Tensions are high, with rallies for and against Fontaine, heated language from both sides and concerns of “rage-baiting” leading to further violence.

  • Prof. Christopher Adams: “It’s disconcerting... that there’s some sort of green light to be violent” (22:19).
  • Smith: “It’s an attack on democracy. We’re not able to do our job fully.” (22:42).
  • Fontaine: “No amount of attacks will ever push us out of this.” (22:49).

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7. Blue Jays vs. Yankees: Playoff Fever

Segment: 23:13

In-the-Stadium Experience

• Jays’ first playoff game vs. Yankees in a packed Rogers Centre after clinching the division.

• Nationwide excitement:

  • "Look at the fans out here... from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Vancouver, all over... They're all behind them." – Paul Hunter (24:36)

• Key players (Bo Bichette, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt) are out with injuries; hope remains for their return in later rounds.

  • Manager John Schneider:
    “These are guys you trust... they're on board with doing whatever we have to do to win” (25:51).

• Jays vs. Yankees: a "tale of two teams" – Jays’ small-ball vs. Yankees’ “beat you with their bats”:

  • “They hit 30 more home runs than any other team in Major League Baseball” – Jamie Strachan (26:23).

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8. U.S. Federal Shutdown Grounds Air Shows; Snowbirds Save the Day

Segment: 26:53

• U.S. shutdown grounds Blue Angels and Thunderbirds; Canada’s Snowbirds step in as headliners at U.S. air shows in California and elsewhere.
• Major Brett Handy (Snowbird1):
  • “Unlike the US jet teams, we fly with a total of nine aircraft... we don’t have the power or the speed...but we make up for that with a bit of complexity... we try to keep the show in tight” (28:28).

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9. Other Notable Stories

• Canadians among Gaza flotilla detainees: Continuing diplomatic efforts.
• Trump administration and Project 2025:
  • Trump now openly embraces the controversial Heritage Foundation blueprint, stacking his administration with its authors (11:08–13:43).
• U.S. operations off Venezuela:
  • The U.S. justifies military force vs. alleged drug boats as part of “armed conflict”; some analysts see little evidence, others warn the real goal is destabilizing Maduro’s regime – “pressure to break cohesion within the Chavismo” (16:35).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Benjamin Netanyahu: “We are on the verge of a great achievement.” (02:02)
• Donald Trump (Truth Social): “Hamas must move quickly or else all bets will be off... I will not tolerate delay... Let’s get this done fast.” (02:41)
• Hostage family member, Jasmine Argaman: “I’m shaking here... the time is now... The hostages... deserve to be home, enough.” (03:47)
• Gaza resident (via translator): “I will only feel optimistic when the agreement has been directly implemented.” (04:55)
• Aaron Ryan (World Animal Protection Canada): “It’s morally reprehensible for Marineland to be holding the government of Canada hostage...” (17:58)
• Premier Wab Kinew: “I don’t believe in cancel culture.” (20:42)
• Bernadette Smith: “It’s an attack on democracy...” (22:42)
• Fontaine: “No amount of attacks will ever push us out of this.” (22:49)
• Blue Jays manager John Schneider: “They’re disappointed, but... whatever we have to do to win, they’re on board.” (25:51)
• Major Brett Handy: “We don’t have the power or the speed... but we try to make up for that with a bit of complexity.” (28:28)

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Engaging Takeaways

• The Israel-Hamas truce effort is at a critical, emotionally fraught stage—cautious optimism tempers all sides.
• Political violence is having a chilling effect even in Canada, with real-world consequences for democratic process and minority leadership.
• National symbols and community spirit—whether the Jays' playoff run or the Snowbirds’ aerial ballet—offer respite and unity amid a tense news cycle.

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This episode demonstrates how global flashpoints and local tensions interconnect, all filtered through an authentic Canadian lens.

Transcript

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[Paul Hunter]

NMLS 696891 this is a CBC podcast.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Hello, I'm Stephanie Skenderas. This is your World Tonight.

[Paul Hunter]

We are on the verge of a very significant achievement.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Israel's prime minister says he hopes the remaining hostages will soon be freed, and the world waits to see if this could be the beginning of the end of the war in Gaza. Trump is pushing for deal. We've got the latest. Also on the podcast, Political Violence in Manitoba. You'll hear about the cases of vandalism and arson on the offices of two MLAs and the heated debate that followed. Plus, look at the fans out here.

[Paul Hunter]

This is our Canadian team. We have one Canadian team and they're the Blue Jays. Everybody's behind them right now.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Okay, Blue Jays fans, a big moment for the home team taking on the Yankees in game one of the playoffs. Israel says it has formed a delegation to negotiate ceasefire talks under US President Donald Trump's 20 point peace plan. Both Israel and Hamas have indicated they are willing to move forward with a hostage and ceasefire deal, but roadblocks remain. The CBC's Paul Hunter is in Jerusalem and joins us with more. So Paul, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation to talk about next steps. So where do things stand right now?

[Paul Hunter]

Well, as Netanyahu put it in his speech, quote, we are on the verge of a great achievement. And he said he hopes the remaining hostages will be freed in the days ahead. But at those coming talks in Cairo aimed at sorting out the many details that Hamas says need attention before Hamas signs off on any of it, there will be a lot of stuff in play. In his speech tonight, Netanyahu also said, for example, that Hamas will be disarmed, echoing his language at the White House a few days ago and using the phrase they can do that the easy way or the hard way. Hamas made no mention of disarmament in its statement, conditionally accepting the peace deal. So lots to be done and talked about in Cairo before any of this becomes a reality. Meanwhile, Donald Trump weighing in again today. Here's a quote from his post on Truth Social Hamas must move quickly or else all bets will Be off, he wrote. I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat. Again, let's get this done fast. Trump clearly underlining he wants action on this. All eyes now move to Cairo, though, for those talks. US Envoy Steve Whitkoff will travel to Egypt to lead the negotiation. With pretty much everything in the balance.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

You spent the evening in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. This is where the families of hostages have gathered to protest every week, where they did once again this evening. How are they feeling right now?

[Paul Hunter]

Buoyant, hopeful, excited, cautious, because they've been hopeful before only to be let down. And indeed, despite the pressure to get all this sorted in Cairo, and despite the positivity from Donald Trump, believing this will happen, that the hostages likely will soon be freed, as Netanyahu puts it, believing that isn't easy after all this time. And, yeah, the rally at Hostage Square in central Tel Aviv has been held every Saturday night since late October 2023. Tonight, many, many thousands of people were on hand, some, by the way, wearing I heart Donald Trump T shirts, but all of them chanting as they do, bring them home. There have indeed been lots of these rallies, but tonight's was extremely high energy at it. I spoke to a number of people and I want to play you a clip from one of them, Jasmine Argaman. I asked her what she makes of the news the hostages may soon be released. And here's part of her answer. I'm shaking here. I believe, you know, I believe the time is now. We want these families to have a good ending. The hostages, they deserve to be home enough. You know, it's just I want to believe, and I believe, of course, in Gaza, where after two years of war, countless Gazans remain in dire need of food, clean water, medicine, shelter and more, and where so much of their infrastructure is being destroyed. They all want this to end, desperately so, but there's a real sense of I'll believe it when it actually happens. Here's how one man in Gaza put it today through the voice of a translator, I'm not optimistic. I will only feel optimistic when the agreement has been directly implemented. An agreement on paper. Mere media reports and evasion don't convince me. Tuesday, of course, marks the second anniversary of the day this all began with those horrific attacks from Hamas into Israel. So we've got very cautious optimism. I guess we can say that maybe this is finally nearing its end. Stephanie.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Okay, Paul, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

[Paul Hunter]

You're welcome.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

The CBC's Paul Hunter in Jerusalem, Global Affairs, Canada says it's aware of two Canadians that have been detained in Israel after a flotilla trying to bring aid into Gaza was intercepted. Israeli authorities stopped dozens of ships from reaching the territory on Thursday, arresting at least 470 activists on board. On Saturday, Israel's Foreign Ministry says it deported 137 activists from 14 countries, not including Canada. Global affairs was not able to confirm the total number of Canadians that were part of the flotilla. In Syria, parliamentary elections on Sunday are being seen as a stress test of the country's transitional government and its internal cohesion. It's the first such vote since rebels forced President Bashar al Assad to flee the country last December, ending his family's first 50 year rule. But the elections are not fully democratic, and as our senior international correspondent Margaret Evans reports, critics say there's a lack of transparency.

[Margaret Evans]

The Syrian People's assembly will be chosen not by individual voters but through a combination of electoral colleges and direct appointments by President Ahmed Al Shara, the former rebel leader whose Islamist led forces toppled Bashar al Assad from power. Two thirds of seats will be chosen by electoral colleges appointed by regional committees and the remaining third appointed by Ashara. Critics say that makes the process open to manipulation. Others say it's not bad for a country emerging from nearly 14 years of civil war that killed more than half a million people. Ghassan al Ghedir is a candidate for parliament in the eastern city of Deir EZ Zor. We wished for direct elections, he says, but the country's current conditions, the unavailability of data and millions of Syrians being outside the country prevented this. Deir Ezzor itself is a reminder of existing fault lines in Syria. Only half the city is currently included in the electoral process. The other half, controlled by the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces, is not. Al Sharra's administration says it's delayed voting there for security reasons, as it has in other Kurdish controlled areas and in the Druze stronghold of Suida, where sectarian clashes broke out with government forces over the summer, it's heightened fears amongst Syrian minorities that they'll struggle for representation in the new parliament. Damascus resident Marcel Mohammed is an Alawite. Popular or not, he says when an authority appoints a parliament, the outcome is expected to reflect the mindset of the authority. There are no set quotas for the representation of ethnic and sectarian minorities or for women. But some analysts say Al Sharah could use his appointments to increase their numbers. And Syrian authorities say the parliament will only have a 30 month term, after which regular elections would be held. Last month, Al Shara became the first Syrian head of state to address world leaders at the UN General assembly in nearly 60 years, a remarkable turn for a former al Qaeda member once jailed by US Forces in Iraq. Analysts say his continued rehabilitation on the world stage and much needed economic support for Syria will depend on the representation of minorities and and transparency of governance. Margaret Evans, CBC News, London.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

In the Czech Republic, a political comeback for a former prime minister Andre Babi thanks a crowd of supporters after his party won the country's parliamentary election. His populist Anno party took the most seats with 35% of the vote, not enough to secure a majority. Babish has been a fierce critic of his country's military support of Ukraine and has pledged to stop sending weapons and artillery there. Opposition parties have accused Babish of wanting to move the Czech Republic away from the European Union and NATO, which he denies. Still ahead, Marineland says it's running out of money and can't care for 30 beluga whales. The federal government says they can't be sent to China, so the whale's fate is more uncertain than ever and their lives hang in the balance. We'll explain the situation coming up On YOUR WORLD tonight. Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker says the Trump administration plans to federalize 300 members of the state's National Guard. In a statement, Pritzker says the Guard got word from the Pentagon early Saturday they would be called up. He did not say when or where the Guard would be deployed. But President Trump has threatened to send troops into Chicago as part of a nationwide crackdown on crime and immigration. Now that crackdown is one of the key proposals of Project 2025. Donald Trump spent much of last year's election campaign actively distancing himself from from that contentious blueprint for governing. But as Ashley Burke reports from Washington, he's now openly embracing it.

[Paul Hunter]

I'm a person with great common sense. I'm not an extremist at all.

[Ashley Burke]

During his re election campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly distanced himself from Project 2025, a controversial policy blueprint.

[Paul Hunter]

I mean, that's seriously extreme, but I.

[Margaret Evans]

Don'T know anything about it.

[Paul Hunter]

I don't want to know anything about it.

[Ashley Burke]

But for the first time, Trump is publicly changing his tune and appears to be embracing it, acknowledging online his budget director, Russ Vogt was a key architect known for his project 2025 fame and said he's meeting him to discuss cutting what he calls Democratic agencies.

[Paul Hunter]

He feels emboldened to do that because there has not been significant pushback against many of his authoritarian actions.

[Ashley Burke]

Manisha Sinha with the University of Connecticut describes what changed.

[Paul Hunter]

I think he somehow feels now that he is president for the second time and the Republicans have completely kowtowed to him in Congress and they control both houses, that he can reveal himself, reveal his true colors. The Heritage foundation has become Project 2025.

[Ashley Burke]

Is a sweeping policy plan created by conservative think tank the Heritage foundation for Trump if he won. It promotes itself in videos like this.

[Paul Hunter]

Our Heritage is telling woke corporations and leftist bureaucrats that they belong in the backseat.

[Ashley Burke]

Their plan recommends Trump crack down on immigration, scrap abortion, access NDEI and much more. Matthew Dallek is a professor at George Washington University.

[Paul Hunter]

Project 2025 takes a sort of view of presidential power and puts it on steroids. It has a very aggressive view of what the president can do.

[Ashley Burke]

Democratic Senator John Fetterman worries Trump will leverage the ongoing government shutdown to advance Project 2025's goals because that allows him.

[Paul Hunter]

To pull a lot more levers, creates all new opportunities for him or vote to make all these kinds of changes.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

The president trusts his cabinet secretaries.

[Ashley Burke]

Trump's press secretary, Caroline Levitt, asked point blank about Project 2025.

[Paul Hunter]

Is that the blueprint for shrinking the government?

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Look, the blueprint is what the president and his team and his cabinet secretaries ultimately decide.

[Ashley Burke]

But it will be up to Americans to ultimately decide if they're okay with Trump's agenda. He's added several of Project 2025's key authors to his administration and is already taking steps towards rolling out parts of their playbook. Ashley Burke, CBC News, Washington.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

The Trump administration is also providing a legal justification for its killing of alleged drug smugglers off the coast of Venezuela. In a memo sent to the U.S. congress this week, the administration says the alleged cartel members are not criminals but combatants, and their killings by the US Military are part of an armed conflict. But experts say that legal rationale is unconvincing. Freelance reporter Cody Weddle has more from Colombia.

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Venezuela's defense minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez calls the latest actions by the United States just off his country's shores a provocation. Five US Fighter jets, Lopez says, were detected by Venezuelan aerial defense systems. The planes were flying close to areas of Venezuela influence, he says. The Trump administration has also deployed at least eight warships to the Caribbean Sea, all an effort, according to the White House, to combat drug trafficking, which they say flows through Venezuela to the US.

[Paul Hunter]

Some drugs do go through Venezuela. It's probably in the region of around 5% of the cocaine comes through Venezuela. A Lot of that is actually going to Europe.

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Phil Gunson is an analyst with the International Crisis Group, based in Caracas. As part of its campaign, the US has declared Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro as the head of a drug trafficking organization and offered a 50 million US dollar reward for his arrest. But Gunson says there's little evidence to support those claims.

[Paul Hunter]

What's mostly going on historically, what has been going on is that the, you know, the generals or other members of the Venezuelan military are taking money in order to look the other way, or they're taking money in order to facilitate the logistics of the drugs passing through. They're not necessarily the owners of the shipment.

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Up until now, US forces have targeted boats that officials say were carrying drugs, killing at least 21 people. Fabian Cardenas is an international law expert at Colombia's Xavierian Pontifical University, La Javariana.

[Paul Hunter]

What the US government had to do was to approach the boats and arrest them or eventually contact the Venezuelan authorities to proceed with regular criminal procedures.

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The U.S. state Department argues that by designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, they have the legal authority to conduct lethal strikes against them. But President Maduro suspects the US's actual end goal is regime change. A land invasion of Venezuela is unlikely, says Victor Mijares, an expert on the Venezuelan armed forces. Mijare says the US strategy may be to sow discord within Venezuela's military ranks.

[Paul Hunter]

Real objective here, I think, is more making pressure from the Caribbean in order to break the cohesion within the Chavismo and the cohesion within the military and the political power in Venezuela.

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That pressure campaign so far has not yielded any noticeable results because Mijare says the Venezuelan military has been designed to prevent internal uprisings.

[Paul Hunter]

Very spread military forces with several clusters and no communication, and with political officers within every unit.

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In a Post on X, U.S. secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote U.S. forces will continue to attack boats off the coast of Venezuela that he says are carrying drugs bound for the United States. Cody Weddle for CBC News, Bogota.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Marineland says the fate of 30 captive beluga whales could be decided by Tuesday. The Ontario park says without federal funds to help care for the whales, it'll have no choice but to euthanize them. Philip Lee Shannock reports. Marineland's failure to plan for these scenarios isn't Canada's emergency amusement park.

[Philip Lee Shannock]

Marineland says it doesn't have the money to take care of 30 beluga whales on its Niagara Falls, Ontario property. Marineland claims it costs $2 million a month to care for the animals. Aaron Ryan of World Animal Protection Canada calls it extortion.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

I think it's morally reprehensible for Marineland to be holding the government of Canada hostage for making what is essentially the right decision.

[Philip Lee Shannock]

This week, Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson denied Marineland's request to export them to China. Thompson said the decision is in line with a 2019 law that bans keeping whales and dolphins in captivity or using them for entertainment shows. Now, the park could soon file for bankruptcy for following the decision.

[Paul Hunter]

I'm an animal lover and it's just a sad situation.

[Philip Lee Shannock]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford blamed the federal government for putting the whales at risk.

[Paul Hunter]

I'm disappointed that the federal government wouldn't sign off on unmoving them. I'm really encouraging the federal government to allow us to make sure that these, these whales survive.

[Philip Lee Shannock]

Professor Angela Fernandez teaches at the University of Toronto Law School. She says if marine land can no longer provide care, the responsibility for the welfare of the whales actually falls to the government of Ontario under provincial law.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

So that's really Doug Ford who needs to kind of come forward and basically, you know, seize the animals in the park, even if it's just seizing them in place for the moment until a good plan can be worked out as to what to do with them.

[Philip Lee Shannock]

Fernandez says Ontario Premier Ford and Federal Fisheries Minister Thompson should work together.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

This could be a good news story of federal provincial working together rather than a story where, you know, God forbid the animals end up dead and everyone's pointing to each other. Whose fault was it?

[Philip Lee Shannock]

In a statement to CBC News, Thompson said only one export request for the belugas had been received and others are welcome. Philip Lieschenok, CBC News, Toronto.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

In Manitoba, concerns over political violence dominated the legislature this week. Those concerns stem from acts of vandalism and arson on the offices of two NDP MLAs. Karen Pauls takes us through what's happening.

[Paul Hunter]

So, honorable Speaker, I table over 450 emails from different Manitobans demanding the Minister be removed from her office.

[Karen Pauls]

Conservative leader Abi Khan challenging Premier Wab Kanu for defending his family's Minister Nahanny Fontaine over two recent incidents. In June, Fontaine was caught complaining an American sign language interpreter distracted her during a speech because the moment she shouldn't.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Have been on the stage, I couldn't see her.

[Karen Pauls]

Then after the murder of US Activist Charlie Kirk, Fontaine reposted a commentary saying he represented, quote, nothing but hate, adding she had no sympathy for him. Fontaine apologized for both incidents, but that didn't stop calls for her resignation.

[Paul Hunter]

Why is the Premier keeping a minister in his cabinet who has showed such visceral hate, condoned political violence and showed no empathy. I'm keeping the minister in cabinet because she's a great minister and because I don't believe in cancel culture.

[Karen Pauls]

The attacks on Fontaine are not just inside the Manitoba legislature. Her constituency office and that of housing addictions and Homelessness minister Bernadette Smith have been vandalized. Broken windows, fires and other destruction. Fontaine and Smith are the first first nations women ever in cabinet, and they're presiding over some contentious port folios. On Tuesday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, fire crews battled yet another blaze at Fontaine's office she believes was deliberately set. The next day, several dozen people attended a Nahanni must go rally outside of the legislature.

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Nahanny Fontaine still has the support of extreme radicals.

[Paul Hunter]

These people, people are freaks. What you're seeing here is uncivilized, barbaric.

[Karen Pauls]

Behavior clashing with Fontaine supporters, many of them female first nations elders.

[SoFi Personal Loan Advertiser]

What is that behavior that is beyond unhuman.

[Paul Hunter]

This person is soulless. This person needs help. So our job is to pray for them.

[Karen Pauls]

Some analysts worry inflammatory language and rage baiting is opening the door to violence. Christopher Adams teaches political science at the University of Manitoba.

[Paul Hunter]

It's disconcerting that even if people disagree with her, and many people do, that there's some sort of green light to be violent.

[Karen Pauls]

Laurie Turnbull agrees. She's a professor in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

That's another step in intimidation and attacking the person.

[Karen Pauls]

Bernadette Smith says vandalism and fires don't just harm her and her staff.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

It an attack on democracy. You know, we're not able to do our job fully.

[Karen Pauls]

Fontaine says she won't back down.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

We worked hard to be here. We continue to work hard and no amount of attacks will ever push us out of this.

[Karen Pauls]

Both women are ramping up security as police continue to investigate the attacks on their offices. Karen Pauls, CBC News, Winnipeg.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

You're listening to your World Tonight from CBC News. And if you want to make sure you 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. Toronto is caught up in an epic showdown. It is Game 1 of the playoffs between the Blue Jays and the New York Yankees. The Jays back in action at the Rogers center after a six day break, fresh from clinching their first division title in a decade. In a sea of fans decked out in blue and white, we found CBC's Jamie Strashen Jamie, I can hear all of the energy, the excitement, excitement behind you. Of course.

[Jamie Strachan]

It's an amazing, amazing atmosphere. It's an amazing atmosphere.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

It's everywhere in this city. What's it like there inside the stadium?

[Jamie Strachan]

It's been crazy. I mean, the crowd has been on its feet since the game began. They've been loud. The stadium has been full about half an hour, 45 minutes before the first pitch. Outside of the stadium, before the game, fans were lined up. Two, three hours. We've heard the idea that this is Canada's team. It's the only team in Major League Baseball. It's a theme that the team has embraced and it's a theme that fans have embraced as well.

[Paul Hunter]

Look at the fans out here. There's people we've met earlier. They're all the way from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Vancouver, all over the place. This is our Canadian team. We have one Canadian team and they're the Blue Jays.

[Jamie Strachan]

Everybody's behind them right now, Stephanie, Everyone behind the team inside the stadium. Not an empty seat that I can see from the press box. The crowd rising and falling with every pitch. Very electric crowd outside, even more so inside, cheering on. As we mentioned, Canada's team.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Jamie, a couple of the Blue Jays, big stars aren't playing in the first game. What can you tell us about these roster changes?

[Jamie Strachan]

Yeah, ahead of game one today, some key roster announcements made by the Blue Jays involving some key players. Stephanie, Bo Bashet, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassett, all out of the lineup for this series against the Yankees. Obviously the big name there, Bo Bichette, one of the Blue Jays best players, unable to return from a knee injury. These obviously are tough decisions. These guys are big part of this Blue Jay team, part of the success they had this year. Here's what Blue Jay manager John Schneider said about making these very tough roster decisions.

[Paul Hunter]

You know, these, these are guys you trust and these are guys that have done a lot in the game. So, you know, they're disappointed, but they, you know, they're kind of leading the charge and understanding that whatever we have to do to win, they're on board.

[Jamie Strachan]

For now, Stephanie doesn't mean that Blue Jay fans won't be seeing these players again this year. If the Jays happen to win this series against the Yankees, the Jays could revisit possibly adding those players back onto the roster should they advance to the second round.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

And how do the Jays stack up against their old rivals, the Yankees?

[Jamie Strachan]

It's really Stephanie, a tale of two teams. The Jays, kind of old school Contact small ball, putting the ball in play, running the bases, playing good defense. The Yankees, that modern day power team, they will beat you with their bats. They get 30 more home runs than any other team in Major League Baseball. So kind of a tale of two very different teams. What should be a great best of five series.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

Jamie, thanks so much. Have fun out there.

[Jamie Strachan]

Thanks, Stephanie. I appreciate it.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

The CBC's Jamie Strachan in Toronto. They are the U.S. navy's showboats in the sky. The Blue Angels are a daredevil flight demonstration squadron. Famous for their loops, rolls and tight turns. The six member team flies as close as 46 centimeters together during their Diamond 360 maneuver. They're a big deal during air shows in various American cities. But while three big shows are happening in California, California, the Blue Angels are back home in Pensacola, Florida. The US Federal government shutdown has grounded some of the biggest aerial acts including the US Air Force Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels. But not to fear American plane fans, another squadron is flying to the rescue. The Royal Canadian Air Force's Snowbirds are in town, ready to headline events like the Pacific Air show in Huntington beach and San Francisco Fleet Week. The Snowbirds, red and white jets are quieter than the Blue Angels. And there are some other differences, as Major Brett Handy or Snowbird1 spoke about on a very windy tarmac in Oregon.

[Paul Hunter]

Unlike the US Jet teams, we fly with a total of nine aircraft in the air, which is fairly impressive. We don't have the power or the speed that the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels have, but we try to make up with that, make up for that with a bit of complexity. We do very dynamic formation flying. So in the middle of doing looping or rolling maneuvers, we'll actually change formations dynamically. So that's something new that the crowd doesn't always, always see. And we try to keep the show really in tight so there will always be someone in front of the crowd.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

And they're humble too. So the Snowbirds get to fly high at least until the US Government's better Angels prevail. Here's a little Backman Turner overdrive on your World tonight. I'm Stephanie Scanderis. Thank you for listening.

[Paul Hunter]

If you could make sounds Watermelon, get a second in guitar. Chances are you go far if you're getting with the right macho people see you having fun. Just a lion in the sun. Tell them that you like it this way.

[Stephanie Skenderas]

For more CBC podcasts, go to CBC CA Podcasts.