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U.S. federal regulators on Thursday approved Paramount’s $8-billion US merger with Skydance, clearing the way to close a deal that combined Hollywood glitz with political intrigue.

The stamp of approval from the Federal Communications Commission comes after months of turmoil revolving around U.S. President Donald Trump’s legal battle with 60 Minutes, the crown jewel of Paramount-owned broadcast network CBS. With the spectre of the Trump administration potentially blocking the hard-fought deal with Skydance, Paramount earlier this month agreed to pay a $16-million US settlement with the president.

Critics of that settlement lambasted it as a veiled bribe to appease Trump, amid rising alarm over editorial independence overall. Further outrage also emerged after CBS said it was cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert just days after the comedian sharply criticized the parent company’s settlement on air. Paramount cited financial reasons, but big names both within and outside the company have questioned those motives.

In a statement accompanying the deal’s approval, FCC Chair Brendan Carr — appointed by Trump — hailed the merger as an opportunity to bring more balance to “once-storied” CBS.

“Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change,” Carr said.

‘Cowardly capitulation’

While seeking approval, Skydance management assured regulators that it will carefully watch for any perceived biased at CBS News and hire an ombudsman to review any complaints about fairness. In a Tuesday filing, the company’s general counsel maintained that New Paramount will embody “a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum” — and also noted that it plans to take a “comprehensive review” of CBS to make “any necessary changes.”

The FCC approved the merger by a 2-1 vote, and the regulator who opposed it expressed disdain for how it all came together.

“After months of cowardly capitulation to this administration, Paramount finally got what it wanted,” FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it is the American public who will ultimately pay the price for its actions.”

Gomez was appointed by former president Joe Biden.

WATCH | Why was popular Late Night  suddenly axed?: 

Questions are swirling over whether the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show was politically motivated or purely financial. Colbert alluded to a ‘bribe’ tied to a Trump lawsuit and a corporate deal.

Paramount and Skydance have said they wanted to seal the deal by this September, and now appear to be on a path to make it happen by then, if not sooner.

Over the past year, the merger has periodically looked like it might fall apart as the two sides haggled over terms. But the two companies finally struck an accord that valued the combined company at $28 billion US, with a consortium led by the family of Skydance founder David Ellison and RedBird Capital agreeing to invest $8 billion US.

Signalling a shakeup would accompany the changing of the guard, Ellison stressed the need to transition into a “tech hybrid” to stay competitive in today’s entertainment landscape. That includes plans to “rebuild” the Paramount+ streaming service, among wider efforts to expand direct-to-consumer offerings in a world with more entertainment options and shorter attention spans.

Trump’s 60 Minutes lawsuit

Ellison, who is poised to become CEO of the restructured Paramount, is the son of Larry Ellison, the technology titan and co-founder of Oracle. Besides possessing an estimated $288 billion US fortune, Larry Ellison has been described as a friend by Trump.

While Paramount sweated out regulatory approval of the merger, one of TV’s best-known and longest-running programs turned into a political hot potato when Trump sued CBS over the handling of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, his Democratic Party opponent in last year’s presidential election. Trump accused the program of deceptively editing the interview to help Harris win the election. After initially demanding $10 billion US in damages, Trump upped the ante to $20 billion US, while asserting he had suffered “mental anguish.”

The case quickly became a closely-watched test of whether a corporation would back its journalists and stand up to Trump. Editing for brevity’s sake is commonplace in TV journalism and CBS argued Trump’s claims had no merit. But reports of company executives exploring a potential settlement with Trump later piled up, particularly after Carr launched an investigation earlier this year.

By the start of July, Paramount agreed to pay Trump $16 million US. The company said the money would go to Trump’s future presidential library and to pay his legal fees, but maintained that it was not apologizing or expressing regret for the story.

The settlement triggered an outcry among critics who pilloried Paramount for backing down from the legal fight to increase the chances of closing the Skydance deal. Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that the deal “could be bribery in plain sight” — and called for an investigation and new rules to restrict donations to presidential libraries.

Concerns about editorial independence at CBS had piled up even in the months before the deal was announced — with Paramount overseeing 60 Minutes stories in new ways, as well as journalists at the network expressing frustrations about the changes on an award-winning program that has been a weekly staple for nearly 57 years

In April, then-executive producer of 60 Minutes Bill Owens resigned, noting that it had “become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it.”

Another domino fell in May when CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon also stepped down, citing disagreements with the company “on the path forward,” amid speculation of Paramount nearing a settlement with Trump. CBS has since appointed Tanya Simon as the top producer at 60 Minutes — elevating a respected insider in a move that could be viewed as a way to calm nerves leading up to the changes that Skydance’s Ellison is expected to make.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has called Israel’s denial of humanitarian aid in Gaza a violation of international law. 

In a news statement on Thursday, he pressed for Israel’s control of aid distribution to be replaced amid reports of mass starvation in Gaza. 

His statement comes hours after French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X that he intends for his country to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

“Israel’s control of aid distribution must be replaced by comprehensive provision of humanitarian assistance led by international organizations,” Carney said in a media statement Thursday evening. “Many of these are holding significant Canadian-funded aid which has been blocked from delivery to starving civilians.” 

“This denial of humanitarian aid is a violation of international law,” he said.

Carney reiterated that Canada supports a two-state solution “which guarantees peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Israel condemned Macron’s announcement made on X, in which he shared a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead and work to convince other partners to follow suit.

“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron said.

“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”

Joint statement calls Gaza aid distribution ‘dangerous’

Earlier on Thursday, federal Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said that she would attend a two-state solution conference in New York City, where she will meet with her French counterparts to discuss Macron’s decision. 

“We need to ensure that Hamas lays down its arms and does not participate in any way in the governance of an eventual two-state solution,” she said, noting that ensuring that humanitarian aid flows and that hostages are released are important for Canadians. 

Anand and 24 of her counterparts abroad signed a joint statement on Monday, calling Israel’s aid distribution system “dangerous” and asserting that “the war in Gaza must end now.” 

The signatories, including foreign ministers of France, Japan and the U.K. and the European Union commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, said it’s “horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.”

The death toll cited is based on figures released by the UN Human Rights Office.

In their statement, the ministers also condemned Hamas for continuing to hold Israeli hostages captured in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and called for their immediate release.

Newmont Corp. says the miners who have been trapped for days in the Red Chris mine in northern B.C. were successfully brought to the surface and are “in good health and spirits.”

The company says they were freed at 10:40 p.m. local time.

“They had consistent access to food, water and ventilation whilst they remained in place in a refuge chamber underground over the last two days,” said Newmont in an emailed statement. “They are now being supported by medical and wellness teams. Their families have been notified.”

Earlier on Thursday, Hy-Tech Drilling identified the miners as Kevin Coumbs of Ontario, Darien Maduke of B.C. and Jesse Chubaty of Manitoba.

The drilling company, based in Smithers, B.C., said it had permission from the families to share the names and asked that their privacy be respected.

Officials had also confirmed that natural air had been flowing to the workers, according to Newmont safety head Bernard Wessels, and a safe path was mapped to the refuge chamber where they had been located on Thursday evening. 

The three had been trapped underground since Tuesday morning when two rockfalls cut them off.

Wessels said the contractors for Hy-Tech Drilling confirmed by radio they had made their way to a steel refuge chamber after the first fall, before a second collapse severed communications.

A remote-controlled scoop removed a pile of debris 20- to 30-metres long and seven- to eight-metres high to gain access to the trapped workers. Newmont Corp. also used specialized drones to assess the geotechnical conditions underground. 

The mining site is located on Tahltan Nation territory near Dease Lake, B.C., about 420 kilometres west of Fort Nelson, B.C.

Hy-Tech said the workers are diamond drillers, meaning they cut through rock using drill bits embedded with industrial diamonds. 

Refuge chamber equipped for 16 people

Newmont said the three were in a refuge chamber designed to support 16 people with enough air, food and water for an extended stay.

Production at the gold and copper mine was paused during the rescue effort. 

The mine is mostly open pit, but Newmont said in an earlier statement that development of underground block-cave mining began in 2019 — four years after the mine’s first production date.

The drillers were working more than 500 metres past the affected zone when the first rocks fell, and were asked to relocate to the refuge before the second fall.

“Following the first event, contact was established with the individuals and confirmation was received that they had safely relocated to one of multiple self-contained refuge bays,” the company said. 

In a statement, B.C.’s Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals said it was notified mid-afternoon Tuesday about the two fall-of-ground events, which occurred in the morning.

The ministry said Newmont reported they had an “orderly” stand-down of operations following the incident.

Workers were about 600 metres inside tunnel: source

A source with direct knowledge of the mine and the rescue operation said the first fall of ground happened 200 metres into a lateral tunnel underground.

The source said the mine workers had been located 400 metres beyond that, meaning they were around 600 metres inside the tunnel.

The source said there were multiple self-contained refuge bays in the area, with each having enough supplies to sustain 16 people for three days.

Block caving

Nolan Paquette, a local vice-president with the United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 that represents about 450 Red Chris workers, said the three workers had been boring a hole to start up “block-cave operations” at the mine within the next three years.

The open-pit mine, which is above ground, is transitioning to underground mining using “block caving,” a technique that involves digging underground to target the ore from below, according to a Newmont communications video on the company’s website.

The Red Chris mine is one of the projects that B.C. announced it would be fast-tracking in response to the U.S. tariff threat.

Newmont CEO Tom Palmer said during the company’s second quarter earnings call on Thursday that it plans to investigate what took place. 

“We are concentrating the full force of our organization on the safe recovery of our team members at Red Chris and we will conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the factors that led to this event,” Palmer said, adding that any findings will be used across the company and shared with the broader mining industry. 

The mining ministry said its priority is supporting Newmont’s rescue operations and it will conduct its own investigation once the rescue has been concluded.

Alexander Quon · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 24, 2025 5:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

Roughly 300 personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces are set to arrive in the province by Saturday to assist with wildfire operations, Saskatchewan’s Public Safety Agency has confirmed. 

During a provincial update on Thursday, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) President Marlo Pritchard said the Type 3 fire personnel will be deployed to a number of different fires across the province, freeing up Type 1 and Type 2 personnel for more serious fire areas. 

“We understand they will be arriving within 36 to 48 hours,” Pritchard said.

An advance team from the Armed Forces are already in Prince Albert planning where the contingent will be sent.

The news came shortly before the province issued a wildfire evacuation notice for Ramsey Bay Northern Resort Subdivision and Ramsey Bay Campground, which are on Weyakwin Lake, about 140 km north of Prince Albert.

A fast-moving wildfire is threatening the community and residents are being asked to start evacuating immediately. 

The province says individuals who can self-evacuate and find their own accommodations should use Highway 2 and register with the province. Individuals who require accommodations are being directed to room 106 at the Days Inn in Prince Albert.

More resources arriving soon

Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod formally requested assistance from the federal government on Wednesday. 

Type 3 firefighters are hired on an emergency basis and generally work in less intense conditions, when a wildfire has already been contained or is under control, according to the SPSA. Type 2 fire crews provide firefighting and response services in Northern Communities or First Nations while Type 1 fire crews are trained and experienced staff familiar with wildland firefighting tactics. 

Pritchard confirmed Canadian Armed Forces personnel would be used for with wildfire mop-up operations, related logistical support for the new fire crews, and helicopters for bucketing and crew movement. 

McLeod had also requested water haulers to help with wildfire mop-up and fire mitigation and protection kits containing sprinklers and hoses to help protect structures in various communities.

Those are not going to be provided by the federal government, Pritchard confirmed. Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski has confirmed helicopters are being sent along with the Armed Forces personnel. 

The SPSA has faced criticism from wildfire-affected communities for not requesting federal assistance sooner. On Thursday, Pritchard defended that decision, saying it was about getting the “right resources at the right time.” 

“Over the last number of weeks we have seen significant work done by our Type 1s and Type 2s, we’ve seen cooler weather, so our fire activity is less,” Pritchard said.

Those factors mean its now safe to deploy Type 3 fire crews, such as the incoming military personnel, Pritchard explained.  

Along with the Armed Forces personnel, various countries and other Canadian provinces have provided Saskatchewan with Type 1 fire personnel and Type 2 fire personnel. 

Pritchard said New Brunswick has recently deployed 22 Type 1 fire personnel to Saskatchewan.

They joined 41 firefighters from Mexico, 41 firefighters from Australia, 22 firefighters from Nova Scotia and 12 personnel from Ontario that were already in the province. 

Pritchard said an additional 41 firefighters are expected from Quebec late on Thursday or on Friday. 

Métis Nation-Saskatchewan welcomes federal support

On Wednesday, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) announced that it had declared a state of emergency in the province’s northwest as a result of the wildfires. 

Northern Region 3 includes Green Lake, Pinehouse, Île-à-la-Crosse, Beauval, Jans Bay, Cole Bay, Dore/Sled Lake, Patuanak, Canoe River, and Sapawgamik.

MN-S and its members are concerned about the province’s response to the wildfires, Brennan Merasty, a regional representative for the MN-S region told CBC on Thursday. 

Local leadership “would like to be invited to the space with the province to have a conversation on the approach, their methods and how do we bring our traditional knowledge to the forefront,” Merasty said. 

He also said that MN-S is ready to host evacuees in Batoche, Sask., a community much more familiar to evacuees than where they may be currently staying.

Merasty said they have hosted wildfire evacuees before and are capable of doing it again but need to have access to funding from the SPSA. 

Merasty welcomed the news that federal assistance had been requested and will soon be deployed but said MN-S needs to be part of the conversation.

“The province can’t do this alone, just like we can’t as a Métis nation. We have to all come together, join forces, strengthen our position and do it together,” Merasty said. 

Pritchard said he had not met with MN-S officials recently but is “always” open to having those conversations.”

State of wildfires in Saskatchewan

As of 2:30 p.m. CST, there are 10 communities in the province under an evacuation order. There are 55 active wildfires with five categorized as being contained, 14 not contained, 18 ongoing assessment and 18 protecting values. 

The latest figures mean there have been 392 wildfires in Saskatchewan in this year to date. That’s well above the five-year average of 319 to date. 

Ten communities remain under evacuation at this point, with Pritchard confirming approximately 3,000 people remain evacuated at this time. 

Approximately 1.8 million hectares of land in Saskatchewan has burned as a result of wildfires this year.

The head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday the fatal crash last month of an Air India Boeing 787 jet does not appear to have been caused by a mechanical issue or inadvertent movement of the fuel control unit or switches.

“We can say with a high level of confidence is it doesn’t appear to be a mechanical issue with the Boeing fuel control unit,” Bryan Bedford, the FAA’s administrator, told reporters on the sidelines of an air show in Wisconsin.

He said FAA employees had taken the units out, tested them and had inspectors get on aircraft and review them. “We feel very comfortable that this isn’t an issue with inadvertent manipulation of fuel control,” he said.

The probe into the Air India crash, which killed 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, is focused on the fuel control switches of the Boeing 787 jetliner.

Boeing and Air India did not immediately comment.

The switches control fuel flow to aircraft engines, allowing pilots to start or shut them down on the ground, or manually intervene during in-flight engine failures.

WATCH | India’s preliminary report and details about fuel control switches: 

Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis.

Air India said on Tuesday it has completed precautionary inspections of the fuel control switch locking mechanism on all 787 and 737 aircraft, with no issues detected.

A preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau earlier this month found the switches had almost simultaneously flipped from “run” to “cutoff” shortly after takeoff, causing the engines to lose power.

Reuters reported last week, citing a source, that the cockpit recording on the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick suggested the captain cut fuel to the engines.

Earlier this month, the FAA and Boeing privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes were safe.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that his country will soon recognize a Palestinian state, a decision that was condemned by Israel. The news came as talks on seeking a ceasefire in Gaza were halted when the U.S. and Israel recalled their delegations.

The departure of the U.S. and Israeli delegations marked the latest setback in efforts to secure a deal that would bring a ceasefire to Gaza, secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and bring respite to Palestinians suffering a sharply worsening humanitarian crisis.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff accused the Palestinian militant group of failing to act in good faith in the talks. Hamas said it was surprised by those remarks, adding the group’s position had been welcomed by mediators and had opened the door to reaching a comprehensive agreement.

“The movement affirms its keenness to continue negotiations and engage in them in a manner that helps overcome obstacles and leads to a permanent ceasefire agreement,” Hamas said in a statement early Friday.

An Israeli official with knowledge of the talks said Hamas’s response to the latest ceasefire proposal “does not allow for progress without a concession” by the group but that Israel intended to continue discussions.

Both Israel and Hamas are facing pressure at home and abroad to reach a deal following almost two years of war, with the humanitarian situation inside Gaza deteriorating and Israelis worried about the conditions in which hostages are being held.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement late Thursday, “Canada condemns the Israeli government’s failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.”

He also said Canada “calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith,” while also urging the release of all Hamas-held hostages and for Israel “to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza.”

‘France will recognize’

Macron on Thursday announced the recognition decision on X, sharing a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead and work to convince other partners to follow suit.

“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron said.

“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”

France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, will become the biggest Western power to recognize a Palestinian state, potentially giving greater momentum to a movement so far dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Macron’s decision, saying that such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”

“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a post on X.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism,” adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.”

In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed any steps that would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against U.S. foreign policy interests and draw consequences.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X late Thursday that the U.S. “strongly rejects” Macron’s plan, which the diplomat cast as a “reckless decision” that “only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.”

The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, welcomed Macron’s decision.

”We express our thanks and appreciation” to Macron, said Hussein Al Sheikh, the vice-president of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) under Abbas, in a post on X. ”This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination.”

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada supports the creation of a two-state solution, but there are steps that must be undertaken.

“We do need to see the return of all hostages, we need to ensure that Hamas lays down its arms and does not participate, in any way, in the governance of an eventual two-state solution,” said Anand, who spoke to CBC News in Inuvik, N.W.T.

Anand also said it’s critical for humanitarian aid “to flow immediately” to civilians in Gaza.

Months of consideration by Macron

Macron, who has less than two years remaining in his second presidential term, had been leaning toward recognizing a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive despite the pressure not to do so.

LISTEN | ‘An acute crisis of hunger and starvation’ in Gaza: journalist 

Middle East Correspondent Jesse Rosenfeld shares an update from Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank on the struggle to survive in Gaza.

French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel’s security.

The conference was postponed under U.S. pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which regional airspace was closed, making it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend.

It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28-29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week’s conference aimed to give the French team at the UN a framework to work with other countries who are also considering recognizing a Palestinian state or still have misgivings in doing so.

Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Some 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week — including Canada’s Anand.

Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have described as “a nuclear bomb” for bilateral relations.

The idea that France, one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, could recognize a Palestinian state would certainly infuriate Netanyahu.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Israel’s warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris’s regional initiatives — even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Israel has been fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognizing a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas.

The war began when Hamas killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities.

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 24, 2025 2:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 24

WARNING: This story contains distressing details, including references to the Indian residential school system.

Just over a year after his father was shot and killed by a police officer in Kenora, Ont., Eric Nothing’s family has identified him as the victim of a police shooting in Deer Lake First Nation that occurred earlier this week.

Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating the incident, which took place in the remote Oji-Cree community in northwestern Ontario Tuesday afternoon. 

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) went to a residence in Deer Lake around 1:30 p.m. local time that day with a warrant to arrest a man, who then fled from the house.

“There was an interaction, and one NAPS officer discharged his firearm at the man. Officers provided first aid and the man was taken to a nursing station where he was pronounced deceased,” the SIU said in a news release issued Wednesday.

Nothing’s uncle, Joshua Frogg, described his nephew as a hard worker and a good person. During the community’s recent evacuation due to a nearby wildfire, Nothing stayed behind to help with building maintenance and look after people’s pets.

“He volunteered to help in any crisis situation,” Joshua Frogg told CBC News in an interview Thursday. “He was a very caring individual.”

About 1,100 people live in Deer Lake, which is about 580 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay. 

Earlier this month, the SIU cleared a Kenora officer with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) of any wrongdoing in connection with the death of Bruce Wallace Frogg — Nothing’s father — at Anicinabe Park in June 2024. 

In that case, Nishnawbe Aski Nation — which represents 49 First Nations across Treaties 9 and 5 — described the investigation as “severely flawed.”

“We reject the conclusion that the officers’ actions were reasonable and justified,” Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said in a statement.

I hate to say this, but it’s just the reality for us as a family and maybe as Indigenous peoples, that the system is designed to fail us.– Joshua Frogg, Eric Nothing’s uncle

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

The agency says two investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the Deer Lake case, as well as one subject official and one witness official. 

“I have nothing good to say about the SIU,” Joshua Frogg said. “We have no trust in them.”

While the SIU initially identified Nothing as a 45-year-old man, spokesperson Kristy Denette confirmed to CBC News that he was in fact 40, and that the information initially received by the agency was incorrect.

According to Denette, “the arrest warrant was in relation to assault.”

However, the family’s experience with Bruce Wallace Frogg’s investigation has made them leery of how the agency may handle Nothing’s case, said Joshua Frogg.

“I hate to say this, but it’s just the reality for us as a family and maybe as Indigenous peoples, that the system is designed to fail us,” Joshua Frogg said. “There is no justice.”

Wapekeka, Deer Lake First Nations in mourning 

In a news release issued Wednesday evening, the OPP Northwest Region said that “at the request of the NAPS, the OPP is investigating the circumstances leading up to NAPS attendance as well as the immediate situation at the scene as officers arrived.”

“The OPP investigation is separate from that of the SIU, which is investigating the police-involved interaction,” the OPP says.

Joshua Frogg said Nothing grew up in Wapekeka First Nation and moved to Deer Lake when he got married. He called his nephew an intergenerational residential school survivor, and said he was affected by the experiences of his father, grandmother and other relatives who were forced to attend residential schools.

From celebrations to funerals, Joshua Frogg said Nothing was always involved in the community, and that Deer Lake and Wapekeka are grieving him together.

As the SIU investigation unfolds, Joshua Frogg said he wants a separate agency to look into Nothing’s death that is not staffed by former police officers.

“[The police are] basically investigating themselves, and that is not a good thing in our view,” he said.

Jeremy Sawanis, a band councillor for Deer Lake, posted on Facebook that a prayer service was being held Wednesday in Nothing’s honour.

“Chief and council would like to express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of late Eric Nothing,” Sawanis wrote.

In the meantime, Joshua Frogg said the family is focusing on laying Nothing to rest and taking care of his wife and children.

The OPP is asking anyone with information or video footage — including surveillance, dash cam, cell phone and social media — taken near the intersection of Police Station Road and Water Treatment Road in Deer Lake on Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., to contact the service at 1-888-310-1122.

People can also submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

Mental health counselling and crisis support is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.

Mike Crawley · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 24, 2025 2:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 24

With the clock ticking on U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to boost tariffs on some Canadian exports to 35 per cent starting Aug. 1, Canada’s top trade negotiators are downplaying the likelihood of reaching a deal by that deadline.

Dominic LeBlanc, minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, and Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, wrapped up two days of meetings with Republican senators. These included a brief sit-down between LeBlanc and Howard Lutnick, the U.S. secretary of commerce and Trump’s point man on tariffs. 

“We’ve made progress, but we have a lot of work in front of us,” LeBlanc told reporters outside a Senate office building on Thursday.

LeBlanc said he had a “productive, cordial discussion” with Lutnick and plans to return to Washington next week. He also added some caveats about the path to reaching a deal. 

“We’re going to continue to work toward the Aug. 1 deadline,’ he said. “But all of these deadlines are with the understanding that we’ll take the time necessary to get the best deal that we think is in the interest of the Canadian economy and Canadian workers.” 

Hillman, who was appointed Canada’s chief negotiator with the U.S., also suggested an agreement with the Trump administration is not imminent.

WATCH | Dominic LeBlanc speaks after meeting Trump’s point man on tariffs: 

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, speaking to reporters in Washington, D.C., said Canada will only accept a deal when there is one in the best interest of workers and the Canadian economy on the table.

“It’s important for us to recognize that there is a time when the deal is the right deal, and it’s important for us to be in a position to continue negotiating until we get to that point,” she said. 

Their comments are the latest evidence that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is not in a rush to sign a deal with the U.S. 

Carney said Tuesday that his objective is “not to reach a deal whatever it costs.”

Following Carney’s meeting with Canada’s premiers earlier this week, Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston said the prime minister isn’t dead set on signing a deal by the deadline. 

Other countries reach tariff deals with Trump

This comes amid Trump’s announcements this week of framework agreements on tariffs struck with Japan and Indonesia, and reports the U.S. is closing in on a deal with the European Union.

Canada may be less panicked than other trading partners about the Aug. 1 deadline because only a small portion of Canada’s exports to the U.S. would be affected by Trump’s threat of 35 per cent tariffs. That’s because most goods enter the U.S. tariff-free under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA. 

Officials say LeBlanc and Hillman met with five Republican senators in Washington: Kevin Cramer (North Dakota), Roger Marshall (Kansas), Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia), Tim Scott (South Carolina) and Todd Young (Indiana). 

Another Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters in Washington on Thursday that the U.S. shares a lot of security and economic interests with Canada and shouldn’t treat it as “just another country” when it comes to tariffs.  

“I wish that I could say it feels good, that this is all going to be taken care of before the first of August, but I’m not sensing that,” said Murkowski, who visited Ottawa on Monday to meet Carney and some of his cabinet ministers