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In the news today: Canada's Liberals win a fourth-straight term in power; President Trump's progress after 100 days; and the cardinal at the heart of the Vatican's "trial of the century" withdraws from participating in the upcoming conclave. Also, what a 70-year-old astronaut had to say about his latest space mission. |
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, dances after the Liberal Party won the Canadian election in Ottawa, April 29, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP) |
Mark Carney's Liberal Party wins Canada's election and caps a stunning turnaround in fortunes |
After polls closed, the Liberals were projected to win more of Parliament's 343 seats than Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives. Prime Minister Carney's party looked headed for a crushing defeat until U.S. President Donald Trump started attacking Canada's economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state. Polls had the Conservatives with comfortable leads only months ago. Read more. |
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- With this result, Carney will remain in the prime minister's job and can form a new government with a new cabinet. Trump's actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power. It wasn't immediately clear, though, if the Liberals would win an outright majority in Parliament — at least 172 seats.
If they don't, the Liberals might need to rely on one of the smaller parties to remain in power and pass legislation. The Bloc Québécois, which looked set to finish third, is a separatist party from French-speaking Quebec that seeks independence from Canada. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals relied on the New Democrats to remain in power for four years, but the progressive party fared poorly on Monday and its leader, Jagmeet Singh, said he was stepping down after eight years in charge.
- Two-time central banker Carney's main challenge will be to manage a recently tense relationship with the U.S., as Trump has been threatening Canada with steep tariffs. Internally, the new government will still have to deal with issues like rising food and housing prices and a surge in immigration.
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100 days in, this is what Trump has done and not done |
The weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office have been a whirlwind of activity to show Americans that his administration is relentlessly pursuing his promises. He has faced lawsuits over some of his actions, meaning much of what he's done could be undone as cases play out. As Trump hits his 100th day in office today, his imprint is everywhere. But the long-term impact is often unclear. Read more. |
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Inflation has been falling since a peak of 9.1% in 2022. It was at 3% in January, the month Trump was inaugurated, and 2.4% in March. "We already solved inflation," Trump boasted. But the Federal Reserve warned that the president's tariff plans will most likely lead to higher prices by taxing foreign imports. Trump has made no secret of his conviction that other countries were ripping off the U.S. in international trade. He began by escalating tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, then announced even more taxes on imports. He retreated from parts of that plan, choosing to pursue negotiations instead, but he left in place tariffs on China as high as 145%.
Trump has made progress on a signature promise to control the border. The number of people trying to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico dropped steeply in President Joe Biden's last year, from a high of 249,740 in December 2023 to 47,324 in December 2024. Under Trump, the numbers sank to only 8,346 in February and 7,181 in March. Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is arresting large numbers of people across the country. Many who assert their innocence have been deported without due process.
- Trump has tested the limits of what he can do by decree, but he'll need Congress to achieve his promised tax cuts. He pledged to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security payments and said he will make permanent the expiring tax cuts he enacted during his first term. None of this has happened.
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More than 50,000 Los Angeles County workers go on strike |
The two-day strike across the nation's most populous county was initiated in response to failed negotiations with the county for a new contract after the last one expired in March, union leaders say. It is set to last until 7 p.m. on Wednesday. During this time, libraries, some health care clinics, beach bathrooms, and public service counters at the Hall of Administration are expected to be closed. Services in the medical examiner's office and public works department may also be affected, the county says. Read more. |
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The Service Employees International Union Local 721 union, which represents more than 55,000 workers, has accused the county of 44 labor law violations during contract negotiations, including surveillance and retaliation against workers engaging in union activity and contracting out positions represented by the union. "This is the workforce that got LA County through emergency after emergency," said union leader David Green in a statement. "That's why we have had it with the labor law violations and demand respect for our workers."
- LA County says it's facing "unprecedented stresses" on its budget, including a tentative $4 billion settlement of thousands of childhood sexual assault claims, a projected $2 billion in impacts related to the LA wildfires in January, and the potential loss of hundreds of millions in federal funding. "We do not want to negotiate ourselves into a structural deficit — which could lead to layoffs and service reductions," spokesperson Elizabeth Marcellino said.
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Witje, a rescued seal, swims in a tank at a seal sanctuary in Lauwersoog, Netherlands, April 24, 2025 (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) |
Injured seals get care and sanctuary at a new center in the Netherlands
Gliding gracefully through the waters at his new home, Witje pauses briefly to peer through a large window at the curious and admiring visitors. The 4-month-old gray seal is a lucky survivor able to swim in one of nine new tanks at the World Heritage Center, a recently opened seal rescue facility in Lauwersoog, in the north of the Netherlands. |
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