CBC News: The National | Canada mulls ending U.S. booze ban for tariff relief

Tonight, provinces push back after reports Canada is willing to end the boycott on American booze.

Our resolve is firm to keep U .S.liquor off the shelves.

Alcohol, autos and dairy.What sources say Canada is willing to give in on to get tariff relief?Two young men charged with murder after opening fire at a crowded Toronto festival.

We have a growing concern around the brazen behaviour we are seeing.

The increased security at another major street festival this weekend.A behind -the -scenes look at how the U .S.secures the northern border with Ontario.

Every boat could be a smuggler.

And what Border Patrol members really think of Donald Trump's claims that drugs are pouring in from Canada.

From CBC News, this is The National with Paul Hunter.

Thanks for joining us.Those intensifying trade talks between Canada and the U .S.may be happening behind closed doors, but tonight, CBC News is learning new details about what is on the table and which U .S.demands Canada could be willing to meet.

American booze bans, dairy quotas, and auto tariffs are all in the spotlight as the Trump administration leans on this country to solve its trade irritants or face new tariffs By the end of the month, and on all of them, sources say Canada is prepared to move.But there's already pushback tonight, in particular from some provinces who say they'll decide when U .S.alcohol goes back on the shelves.

Evan Dyer walks us through the developments.

Prime Minister Mark Carney wasn't talking about the reports that Canada has floated significant concessionsin trade talks with the U .S.S.Sources tell CBC News Canada could be willing to end the provincial bans on American liquor but the Trump administration cited as a key reason for its latest threat to impose new 50 % tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods in less than two weeks.Canada would also be willing to drop its counter tariffs on U .S.

vehicles and make some concessions on dairy, likely just tweaks.But lifting the booze ban could be controversial with some Canadians and depends on the agreement of premiers many of whom have stood firm that sectoral tariffs must be lifted first.There is not a chance in hell that U .S.alcohol is going back on the shelf in British Columbia.

Ontario is already pushing back.Our resolve is firm.to keep U .S.liquor off the shelves until we see the details of a comprehensive deal.

As is Quebec, the premier saying in a French statement, Quebec and Quebec alone will make that decision.

We have several premiers saying unless those 232 tariffs go to zero, they're not going to put booze back on shelves.So this is a real problem if we're going to see an agreement by August 19th.

If Canada makes concessions, it would expect not only for the U .S.to drop the threat of new tariffs, but also to reduce the existing ones on Canadian metals, vehicles and forest products.The fact that they're talking about both of those is very, very positive.But industry sources with knowledge of the talks have said the U .S.

has made it clear the existing tariffs won't disappear entirely.

I'm optimistic as I know a lot of my counterparts are that we're in the process we've wanted to be in for months to have an actual substantial discussion about what each side is willing to give and take.

Sources tell CBC News that Canadian negotiators have informed their American counterparts that they view August 19th as a make -or -break moment in the relationship And if the U .S.goes ahead with 50 % tariffs, there'll be little appetite in Canada for a return to talk.Evan Dyer, CBC News, Ottawa.

All right, let's bring in Katie Simpson now, guest host of Power & Politics this week.Katie, you were speaking with those industry sources.What did those conversations suggest to you about the overall state of talks?

The Canadian team's had a difficult go of getting face time with the Americans.So in order for all of these meetings to happen, it's not surprising to see that Canada is talking about concessions.That's one way to bring the Americans to the table in a serious way.And our reporting backs that up.It's also clear the Carney government is deeply concerned about outcomes and then optics.The sources tell me if a deal is reached, it has to be framed in a win -win kind of way.

No lopsided US win that Donald Trump can go out and brag about.That, of course, would make it harder for Ottawa to get Canadians to support a deal that will likely involve concessions.But when we say deal, what exactly are we talking about?In this moment, Canada is trying to prevent new tariffs from coming into force and get those tariffs on Canadian sectors, including steel and aluminum, lowered.They will still have to separately try to get Kuzma talks back on track, and that's something we now know they're trying to secure.

And so for the first time in a long time, Katie, can it be said there appears to be momentum?

Yeah, well, Dominic LeBlanc is going back to Washington next week, or at least that's the plan.Canadian and American negotiators are going to remain in daily contact.They wouldn't be doing that if there wasn't something specific to talk about.But Canada has been in this situation before, where there's this flurry of activity.It appears a deal is within reach and then it just blows up.Last summer, after the G7 in Kananaskis, talks were headed toward a deal and then all of that chatter died down.

Last fall, when the talks ramped up again, And then Ontario released an anti -tariff ad that upset President Trump, and we all know what happened after that.Even if there is momentum, anything can happen.

All right, thanks, Katie.That's Katie Simpson in Ottawa tonight.Still in the face of tariffs, Canada's job numbers keep climbing.Tens of thousands were added last month, and unemployment is now at a two -year low.Mac DeGabrisolasi explains why the labour market is exceeding expectations.

The Canadian economy has been weathering American tariffs and sluggish growth.Now a new sign things could be turning around.Stats Canada says this summer there's a surge of new jobs.75 ,000 added in July.

The Canadian economy appears to be rebounding.

The unemployment rate fell to 6 .4 percent, the lowest it's been in two years.181 ,000 jobs added since April and Ontario added 52 ,000 jobs in July alone.The province has been hit especially hard by tariffs targeting auto and steel.But other industries are seeing growth.

There was a loss of significant numbers of manufacturing jobs right after the first U .S.tariffs were announced.But what we've been seeing in the last few months is rebounds in other sectors, professional services, which would include consultants and engineers, as well as financial services.

Also looking stronger, the summer job numbers for 15 to 24 year olds.The unemployment rate the lowest it's been in more than two years, but still not good enough for those struggling to find work at this recent job fair.I need a job.I haven't been hired anywhere else.

It's been tough.It's been very competitive.I've been to like 10 interviews this summer alone.I can't get a job.

Students in their early 20s seem to be faring a bit better.It's still really tricky to find that first job as a high school student, but we are seeing more and more of the elder youth.you know those university -aged professionals coming into the job market are finding work.

All in all economists say this job's report is strong but as for what's to come?

The outlook is still uncertain and there remain a lot of risks.

And a lot of questions especially about the ongoing North American trade negotiations and the potential impact on the Canadian economy.Makda Gebrselasa, CBC News, Toronto.

It was a different story in the U .S.where the American economy unexpectedly lost jobs last month.Employers south of the border cut 23 ,000 jobs in July despite the fact economists had forecast growth.Still, the U .S.

unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4 .1 percent.In Toronto, two 18 -year -olds have been charged with murder in last month's deadly shooting at a popular street festival.As Thomas Daigler shows us, police say the case highlights a larger pattern of brazen gun violence involving young people.

Nearly a month after thousands of festival goers fled gunfire in a panic, Toronto police now say two 18 -year -olds have been arrested both charged with murder and attempted murder.

Who the actual shooter was will come out in court.The evidence that we have led us to charge both of those people.

Shaquan Quashie and Cesar Vernazza were both killed.Police say they were targeted but aren't saying why.Five others were injured in the attack that shut down the popular Salsa on St. Clair festival, leaving the city shaken.

This investigation is about gun violence and the willingness of young people to use guns with complete disregard for human life and the safety of anyone around them.

Social media video appears to show one of five handguns seized in the investigation.Another recovered as police searched the Toronto home of one of the accused.All of it beingdays after two other teens were charged over the drive -by shooting of the city's US consulate.

We have a growing concern around the brazen behavior we are seeing and that needs to be tackled.

Following the festival attack Kwashi's mom shared her grief and anger.Her son was only 25 years old.

Do I want to see the culprit face -to -face?Yes.Because this affects my family so much.It's affecting my community so much.

The fears of so many still fresh as Toronto prepares this weekend to host Canada's biggest street festival.Taste of the Danforth is a go with police installing barricades and promising more visible patrols.

Have we added extra security?Yes.Can I talk about it?It wouldn't be secure if I talked about it, but we're feeling pretty safe.

For now, police won't say what the motive may have been for the shooting last month or whether gangs may have been involved.Thomas Daigle, CBC News, Toronto.

In Alberta, two correctional officers and an inmate are dead after a highway crash late Thursday during a transfer from a federal women's prison.The correctional officers, a 57 -year -old man and a 25 -year -old woman, are being remembered tonight, as well as a third 24 -year -old female victim.Police say the prison transport van collided with a box truck about 200 kilometers southeast of Edmonton.All three people in the van died at the scene.The truck driver suffered minor injuries.What caused the crash is under investigation.

In parts of British Columbia tonight, wildfire smoke is thick, the air dangerous as more than a hundred wildfires burn.Evacuation orders continue to grow and John Hernandez shows us so too does the heartbreak.as people come to terms with what they've lost.

We're gonna be home and you're gonna be able to play with Nova and we'll be good there.

Treasured pets are all that Raejean Simpson has left.On Saturday, she raced into a rapidly growing inferno to save them.

The smoke.

The smoke that I saw.The cops had it blocked off and they weren't going to let me go in.And I said my house is right up there.My animals are up there.I have to get them out.

The Bradley Creek wildfire tore through her home near Vernon, BC.A house she built with her late husband.

Living there since he passed I felt his spirit.I felt his love all through the house.And now that's gone.I know he still lives with me but it's all gone.

Around 230 structures burnt to the ground.The Okanagan Indian Band is still surveying the damage.Thousands have been evacuated.Dozens staying at this lot in the heart of the city.Many grateful for the support from the community.Some humbled to know their homes are still standing.

We've met people and heard about the loss of their incomplete place with 30 seconds to leave.So we were quite blessed.

About 24 kilometres south, the Quilpitook Creek wildfire is also burning out of control.More than 2 ,000 homes are under evacuation order.

That fire is raging on the other side of Okanagan Lake behind me here and the smoke is so intense that it almost looks like you're staring into an ocean.

Air quality across the region has plummeted.

It affects my lungs.We noticed immediately getting off the plane a couple of days ago that you can taste the

The wildfires still raging but people like Simpson are already planning to rebuild.

I will be back there where I was living.That's where I want to be rising from the ashes like the phoenix.

Here overlooking Vernon you can really see the smoke settling in on the city making it hard for people to breathe and that is expected to last for at least the next few days as is the hot and dry weather and even some gusting winds that won't help firefighters.

And John I guess we understand there's no clear timeline on when evacuees will be allowed to return?

Yeah, Paul, officials say it's just too dangerous right now.The two fires are still blazing out of control and the conditions could make them even worse.On top of that, there's well over 100 downed power lines in the area, making things that much more dangerous.So still very much an active emergency zone.

Okay, thank you, John.John Hernandez in Vernon, B .C.tonight.As the need for firefighting resources spikes, Ottawa has agreed to sell 10 retired military aircraft to a BC company to be converted into water bombers.

It's about supporting Canadian industry, it's about making smart use of public assets, and it's about ensuring that these remarkable aircraft continue to serve people for years to come.

The Hercules aircraft are being sold to Colson Aviation.The conversions will happen in Port Alberni.and the first one could be deployed to help fight wildfires within a year.Thailand's Prime Minister is vowing a crackdown on guns after a 14 -year -old shot and killed his grandparents and then attacked his high school.In all, seven people were killed.Nala Ayyad shows us the terror inside the school.

A moment captured in a classroom outside Bangkok.as the rampage unfolded.Even as they were hiding, it was hard to hide the fear.Some 3 ,000 high school students were about midway through their year's first term when at around 10 a .m.Friday they heard shots.

And then it started getting more frequent.Like bang, bang, bang says the student.I didn't think it was the sound of a gun.It was, police say, in fact a handgun wielded by a 14 -year -old student.It belonged to his grandfather.He shot at least 26 bullets before shooting himself.

While more than two dozen were injured the at least five people shot dead at the school were all teachers.And earlier it's believed the shooter also killed his grandparents with whom he lived.It's the second school shooting Thailand has witnessed this year.A country with some 10 .3 million guns.That's 15 guns per 100 people.In recent years there have been mass shootings at a market and a mall.

And in 2022, a protracted attack by a dismissed policeman left dozens dead including 22 children at a daycare.On Friday, the prime minister promised a new law on carrying guns in public.No hint whether any changes will affect who still gets to own them.He added this latest attack was not spontaneous.

We intentionally came to school today to commit this unfortunate case.

Investigators say the shooter still had 30 more rounds when he took his own life.For survivors, the scale of the crime and the loss are unfathomable.Nala Ayyad, CBC News, London.

Donald Trump is vowing to fight a court order stopping construction of his signature ballroom at the White House.As the U .S.president looks to reshape D .C.

, Tom Perry now on his latest defeat.Donald Trump's big plans in limbo.an appeals court upholding a lower court ruling, ordering a halt to work on the U .S.president's lavish White House ballroom.Trump knocked down the East Wing of the White House to make way for his project, expected to cost $400 million or more.

The court says to proceed, Congress needs to approve.

There will never be another thing like this, I don't believe, built from a court standpoint.

On social media, Trump called the ruling judicial overreach and said he'll go to the Supreme Court.This was the second legal setback in a week for Donald Trump as he tries to remake Washington.The last reversal came when U .S.attorney and former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro dropped her case against a former Olympian, who the administration accused of vandalizing Washington's reflecting pool after a $16 million renovation.

Pirro acknowledging the real problem was shoddy workmanship.It's very unsettling.It's not the United States of America that I know.It's not the United States of America that I've represented in many competitions overseas, including three Olympic Games.

Trump's other projects range from gold -plated statues to his grand plan for a 250 -foot triumphal arch.

When you have a single person with so much in power, they are remaking these spaces to their own tastes, and it's a taste that seems to have nothing behind it, so it is desecrating it.

In its ruling on the ballroom, the appeals court remindedTrump presidents are temporary tenants of the White House, not owners.As this president keeps working to change the face of the U .S.Capitol.Tom Perry, CBC News, Washington.

Severe flooding in Ontario's wine region is causing major challenges for grape growers.

The water was up to here.All of this was covered.Everything was covered.

How winemakers are dealing with extreme weather, next.Plus, at the Canada -U .S.

border, a rare look behind the scenes.This is part of daily patrols performed by U .S.Customs and Border Protection here along the Detroit River.

Willie Lowry speaks to U .S.agents about what they're seeing firsthand.And later, a mid -race cycling mishap in the middle of an Ironman competition.

Something must have happened with one of the screws that was holding the seat to the seat post.

The local cyclists who jumped in to help were back in tune.Foon Dolphin has battered Japan's southern islands with strong winds, heavy rain and widespread power outages.More than 500 flights were cancelled and some 200 ,000 people were ordered to evacuate.The Category 1 storm is expected to remain powerful as it moves west toward China.Well, it's been a challenging season for some grape growers in Ontario's wine country with severe flooding already and now more rain on the way.Chien Desjardins shows how some are navigating the extreme weather.

The rain was basically, the water was up to here.The rain had finished, everything was covered.

Bill Riddlemeyer still has water on his Ontario vineyard.But it's a far cry from last week, after an unprecedented amount of rain dumped over and over on the Niagara region.It's where about three quarters of Canada's wine is made, leaving vineyards and communities soaked.

I drove in this way and I was creating a wave because I was driving over water.

An absurd amount, not good for the vines.Riddlemeier has been preparing for moments like this though, focusing on soil quality to handle all kinds of extreme weather.

What we have to do is get away from the old ideas on how to grow grapes and start to realize that we need to expect this kind of weather, wild weather in every direction, global weirding as I like to refer to it.

Still, this is uncharted territory, according to officials.

We saw scenes of, you know, water pouring off of the escarpment and bursting through windows and vehicles.It was terrifying.

The chair of the Grape Growers of Ontario says growers are resilient, but...

We've had a few sleepless nights.

And adapting to the changing climate comes at a cost.

If no one buys our product, then it's very difficult to reinvest, so...It might seem very, very little to the consumer, but it makes a huge difference.

This is the chardonnay.

Now it's a waiting game.

I'm seeing just a little bit of mildew starting on a couple of them.That worries me.Are the roots drowning?

But Riddlemeyer won't know what that means for his crop until harvest in the fall.

We're trying to get things dry.

A tough job, especially with more rain in the forecast.Sianne Desjardins, CBC News, Niagara -on -the -Lake, Ontario.

A Senate committee in the U .S.voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress.

Well, nothing says honesty like taking the fifth.huh, doc?

Andrew Chang breaks down whether Fauci really has the right to stay silent.Plus, at the site of the new Gordie Howe Bridge, America guards its northern border.

You have to use intelligence in partnerships to be able to secure this area up here.

Willie Lowry shows us how politics takes a backseat to security.

On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

Well, that's what Dr. Anthony Fauci said over and over and over again in front of a Republican -led U .S.Senate committee late last month.It was part of a hearing about his work during the COVID -19 pandemic.Just yesterday, the committee voted to hold the former top American doctor in contempt of court.Now it's up to the U .

S.Justice Department to decide whether to prosecute Dr. Fauci.Andrew Chang, host of About That, examines if refusing to speak could indeed land Fauci in legal trouble.

It is illegal to obstruct the work of the United States Congress.So when Anthony Fauci repeatedly says this to a group of senators.

I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.to refrain from answering your questions.

And says that 111 times over the course of several hours, refusing to answer every question he was asked last week.

Well, nothing says honesty like taking the fifth, huh, Doc?Let's try something.What day of the week is it today?What color tie are you wearing?What color is the carpet in front of you?

On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

Super awkward, butis it illegal?

This is about contempt.Contempt for this body and contempt for the American people.

Some breaking news this morning.The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress.

Republicans under Donald Trump have declared fresh war on the man who, basically overnight, was suddenly the most influential and prominent public health voice during the pandemic.Now, he won't tell them a thing.How long can he keep that up?Who the f*** do you think you were for doing that?Many Republicans and their supporters do not like Anthony Fauci, but few have so consistently made an enemy of him over such a long period of time as Rand Paul.

Instead of an apology, you have for years avoided responsibility.You did not tell the American people the full story.

Rand Paul is the Republican chair of a Senate Homeland Security Committee that subpoenaed Anthony Fauci to testify just last week over I would say two main questions that, even all these years after the pandemic, he still feels are unanswered.Did Fauci try to push this idea that COVID couldn't have come from a Chinese lab, even when he thought maybe it did?And two, did Fauci lie about whether the U .S.gave money to create this virus that would ultimately kill more than a million Americans?Fauci denies these claims.

And here was one of the only things he said at his hearing last week.

The sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges.

And so it began.

Can you explain to the committee why you chose to fund this dangerous research in China?On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer.Dr. Fauci, did the CIA ever transfer funds to NIH under an interagency agreement?Dr. Fauci, were the scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology capable of inserting a furin cleavage site into a coronavirus?Lab investigators, did they ever appear in these labs to make sure that they were safe labs?

On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline.And you get the idea.

The Republicans are accusing Dr. Fauci of being in contempt of Congress because he refused to answer questions and he invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege.And the Republicans are saying you can't do that because you've been given a pardon by President Biden, which covers your culpability and you are not allowed to invoke the Fifth.

Yes.Ordinarily, an American's Fifth Amendment right is to remain silent, to avoid self -incrimination, and you can do that by not answering questions.Except, Republicans say, hang on, Joe Biden, when he was president, gave you a preemptive pardon.breaking news president joe biden announcing pardons in his final hours before donald trump takes office biden announcing the pardon of dr anthony found chief so you're immune to prosecution meaning you can't invoke the right to remain silent since there's no chance of self -incrimination since there's nochance of prosecution.You don't have any rights under the Fifth Amendment because you've been pardoned, as you very well know.

So to avoid questioning in this way, this, they say, is contempt, punishable by a fine of up to $100 ,000 and or up to a year in jail.

We're voting on whether a witness who has received the benefit of a sweeping federal pardon can be ordered by this committee to answer questions and then defy that order without consequence.

So that's why and how Fauci is under legal threat today.But the bigger question is the bigger threat beyond today.If you're someone who sees Anthony Fauci as dangerous, as a villain, the first question you have is a very serious charge.Why peddle the lie that COVID made a natural jump from animals to humans?

Publicly, Anthony Fauci promoted the theory that the virus arose naturally, while privately, he was well aware of a mountain of evidence suggesting the virus originated in the lab.

They point to Fauci's own diary entries written in the earliest days of the pandemic, like this one from January 26, 2020.So this is before the World Health Organization is even willing to call this an international public health emergency, never mind an actual pandemic, which would come months later.Fauci writes about the wet market origin theory.Now we know the market was not the source, it was the amplifier.And just five days later, he writes how his colleagues studying the coronavirus itself believe mutations in its makeup could not have occurred naturally, and they raise the possibility that these features were deliberately inserted and either accidentally released or deliberately released by a crazy person.in the lab.

Republicans like Rand Paul say this is evidence that Fauci and his colleagues were privately entertaining this lab leak theory while denying it in public.Fauci says that's not quite right, that he's often leaned one way but never lied.

We keep a completely open mind as to what the origin is.Having said that, if you look at the examination, by highly qualified international scientists with no political agendas.They've published in peer -reviewed journals, the best of the peer -reviewed journals, that the evidence is quite strong that this is a natural occurrence.

Fauci has said his objection was always only against people who said the lab leak theory was unequivocally true, when they just had no way of knowing.And that when people accuse him of a cover -up, pointing at positions like this, published in May of 2020, they're really just misrepresenting his position as being entirely one -sided.In reality, though, opinion on the true origin of COVID -19 is split.Early on, the prevailing theory was that this was most likely a case of natural animal -to -human transmission at a seafood market in Wuhan, China.And for years, the U .S.

intelligence community was unsure.From this government report in 2023, at least five intelligence agencies believed this was just a case of the virus evolving, from infecting animals to infecting humans.But the Department of Energy and the FBI leaned towards the Lab League theory.The CIA decided inconclusive, though later on it would lean more towards COVID's origin being in a lab.The World Health Organization, not so sure.The work to understand the origins of SARS -CoV -2 remains unfinished.

The origins of SARS -CoV -2 and how it entered the human bodyhuman population will remain inconclusive.Despite all this, Republicans insist a Fauci cover -up makes sense.Because American taxpayer money, under Fauci's leadership, funded some of the work going on in that lab in Wuhan.

The decision to fund dangerous gain -of -function research in Wuhan, China will likely go down in history as perhaps one of the worst public health decisions.I hope today Dr. Fauci will come clean.Admit that the risk of this dangerous research exceeded any possible benefits.Ask forgiveness.

Now, at the risk of going down all the rabbit holes, I will answer this.Did Fauci's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases fund coronavirus research in Wuhan?Yes, it did.This is not disputed.A U .S.

nonprofit called EcoHealth managed to secure, over a period of about 10 years, a series of seven grants from NIAID, totaling more than $4 million, studying very specifically the question of bats transmitting coronaviruses to humans in China.A portion of this money, about $600 ,000, did go to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.But the harder question to answer is whether that research funded an explicit attempt to make one of these coronaviruses better at infecting humans.When you hear people talking about gain -of -function research, that's what they're talking about.

The NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain -of -function research in the Wuhan Institute.

Fauci has long maintained that U .S.-funded research in China did not produce anything genetically close enough to be the direct cause of the pandemic.But again, the Republican charge here is immense.which is that if the US government under Fauci's leadership had not helped China in its research, the global pandemic might never have happened to begin with.

You've never admitted that it could have been a mistake funding this research in China.No scientist is above scrutiny.

So here's the thing.I'm not explaining and reopening this whole who caused the pandemic debate to try to come to some sort of conclusion on the matter.I raise it only to show you how high the stakes are and how serious some elements of this Trump administration are about prosecuting Anthony Fauci, pardon or no pardon.

It's very clear from statements that were made by Republicans during the hearings and after and outside of those hearings that they intend to use him as a poster child for what took place in the United States during the COVID era.

This possibility that vengeful Republicans will find some way, any way, to prosecute Fauci despite his pardon?

Senator Paul, you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and I want to say that officially.You do not know what you are talking about.And if anybody is lying here, Senator, it is you.

This is what powers Fauci's Fifth Amendment defense.Because while the pardon would appear to protect him from any of his public actions over a fairly wide 10 -year period, it doesn't extend to anything he might say or admit to now.And sure enough, prosecutors in Trump -friendly parts of the country at the state level, from Alabama to Florida, another red state, and Louisiana too, there is an increasing tide of legalaction building against Fauci.So when summoned before Congress, he shuts down.But for how long he can continue that strategy depends entirely on how determined this administration is to make him pay.

Fauci's fate is now in the hands of the Justice Department.And while it's not duty bound to follow a criminal referral from Congress, Democrats have accused it of pursuing politically motivated prosecutions during Trump's second term.Coming up, our Willie Lowry gets a behind -the -scenes look at U .S.Border Patrol enforcement in Detroit.

No, it's really not that big of a problem for inbound.A lot of the stuff that we actually get, we get a lot of it going outbound.

And when you say outbound, you mean going from the U .S.into Canada?

Exactly.What customs agents are actually seeing at the border, next.Last year, U .S.President Trump declared national emergencies at both the southern and northern borders, using the fentanyl crisis as justification for tariffs.The CBC's Willie Lowry got a behind -the -scenes look at how the U .

S.protects its border with Canada at that brand -new crossing, Gordie Howe Bridge.

This is the brand new U .S.Port of Entry facility at the Gordie Howe International Bridge.Paid for entirely by Canada as part of the $6 .4 billion construction costs for the bridge.It's massive.400 ,000 square feet.

It sits on nearly 170 acres of land.

For trade and travel we are the largest northern border port.

U .S.Customs and Border Protection invited the CBC and a handful of other news outlets to tour the facility.We got a behind -the -scenes look at how the U .S.enforces their northern border.

From the sky to the water and there's lots of water.The Detroit sector covers 1 ,388 kilometers of the border, all of it on the water.This is part of daily patrols performed by U .S.Customs and Border Protection here along the Detroit River as well as in the Great Lakes.They're looking for pleasure crafts that are operating suspiciously.

This part that we go from the mouth up here back down to the bridge was one of the top smuggling routes in all the United States.We saw how many boats today?And every boat could be a smuggler unless we stop every single boat.So you have to use intelligence and partnerships to be able to secure this area up here.

a very bad abuser.When U .S.President Donald Trump first slapped tariffs on Canada, he cited the country's inability to prevent drugs and human traffickers from pouring across the border into the U .S.as justification, calling it a national emergency.

But the reality on the ground in Michigan is a lot more complicated than that.

No, it's really not that big of a problem for inbound.A lot of the stuff that we actually get, we get a lot of it going outbound.

And when you say outbound, you mean going from the US into Canada?You got it.

And the same with guns?The guns are going to be mainly coming from here to Canada.Well, not exactly.They're wrong turns.So you get a lot of people that are actually making wrong turns, that are actually turning onto the bridge and turning into the tunnel.

While some Americans may be accidentally bringing weapons across, there is also a robust illegal trade.In 2024, nearly 90 % of guns recovered in crimes in Ontario were traced back to the U .S.This border expert says both countries pose threats to each other.

Firearms for sure, but also the United States is in between the middle ground for drugs coming up into our country from Mexico and from South America.Going south, the threat that we pose is actually the people we let in on temporary status.

While authorities on both sides of the border look to curb illegal activity, it's not a major concern for many people in Detroit.

No.I've lived in Detroit my whole life.I think Canada is rather friendly.When I was younger, we'd go over to Canada all the time.It was like a little getaway.As long as you guys keep your side clean and we keep ours clean, we're good.

I love it.It's unfortunate that the two countries are going through what they're going through right now.Hopefully the politicians can get their heads together and fix it because they've been a good neighbor.

Despite the political tensions, U .S.officials say the working relationship with their Canadian counterparts remains unchanged.

Locally, we still have great partnerships with those agencies right across the water.

For now, those partnerships continue to bridge the political divide.Security on both sides of the border depends on it.In 2025, U .S.border officials in the Detroit sector seized more than 9 ,300 pounds worthillegal drugs, including 33 pounds of fentanyl. That's

That's according to CBP.But the statistics don't reveal the direction the drugs were traveling.And a lot of the drugs and weapons are flowing north, not south.

All right, Willie, but so, I mean, how does that compare to what U .S.Customs agents see at the southern border with Mexico?

Yeah, they're two different universes.StatsCan says that from 2022 to 2025, almost 71 ,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the U .S.southern border.That's compared to only 134 pounds in northern border areas.

All right, thank you, Willie.That's the CBC's Willie Lowry in Washington tonight.Coming up, an Ironman rider's seat popped off mid -race.Luckily, strangers on the sidelines stepped in.

It's kind of part of the, I guess, the code to kind of just stop and see if somebody needs help.

How they got him back in the Ironman is next in our moment.All right, so you're looking at Frank Hamill and Eddie Polko.They were biking in Ottawa near an Ironman triathlon when they noticed an athlete on the side of the road.The two learned that his bike seat had popped off, so they quickly used what was around them to get the bike up and running again.So tonight, their ad hoc makeshift DIY repair makes our moment.

I'm on the bike portion of the Ironman race.20K in, my seat's feeling a little loose, and it just fell off.Yeah, I'm cooked.

I was heartbroken, if I'm going to be honest.We saw a young athlete.with his bike out of commission.It's kind of part of the, I guess, the code to kind of just stop and see if somebody needs help.Basically, we were missing a bolt, and I figured, well, on the two, there's the valve stem.It's threaded, and I took a couple of lock nuts, and I was like, that should work.

Man, I'm going to wait for you at the finish line.

Next thing you know, two guys, Frank and Eddie, geniuses.They MacGyver my bike with an inner tube and inner tube valve.

It's working!

I owe my race to them.I was so grateful.

You caught a break, didn't you?I mean, let's be honest.Biking without a seat for whatever, 150 clicks, that would hurt.From all of us here at The National, thanks for being with us.I'm Paul Hunter.Take care.