Juno News - Trump hikes cost for Canada to join the Golden Dome

00:00:00.000 An Ontario school bus driver has been fired after a viral video depicts the driver dressed in an

00:00:10.480 anime-style schoolgirl outfit while picking up children. President Trump has hiked the price

00:00:15.600 tag for Canada's inclusion in the Golden Dome defense program to $71 billion American dollars.

00:00:21.520 The House of Commons passed a motion demanding the government pursue a full refund on the funds

00:00:26.160 spent on a Rive can despite the Liberals' wishes. Hello Canada, it's Thursday June 19th and this is

00:00:32.000 the True North Daily Brief. I'm Isaac Lamoureux. And I'm Jeff Knight. We've got you covered with all

00:00:36.560 the news you need to know. Let's discuss the top stories of the day and the True North exclusives

00:00:41.200 you won't hear anywhere else. A school bus driver in Woodbridge has been fired following public

00:00:50.160 outrage over a viral video showing him dressed in a Japanese anime-style schoolgirl outfit while

00:00:56.080 picking up children on a residential street. In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the

00:01:01.200 York Catholic District School Board confirmed that the driver has been removed. The spokesperson said,

00:01:06.160 quote, the company quickly addressed this situation with its employee and the driver will no longer

00:01:11.200 provide busing to and from the school. The video, first shared on Friday, June 13th,

00:01:16.240 shows the male driver stepping out of a landmark student transportation bus wearing a pink

00:01:21.120 pleated skirt, thigh-high stockings, and a sailor-style top. A sign in the front window of the bus reads,

00:01:27.440 Lolita's Line. The outfit and Lolita Line sign sparked outrage among parents due to the term's

00:01:32.960 disturbing associations. Lolita was popularized by Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel of the same name,

00:01:40.560 in which an adult male narrator sexually exploits a 12-year-old girl. In modern usage,

00:01:45.840 it's often associated with a subculture involving the sexualization of young girls in Japanese anime

00:01:51.680 and cosplay genres. The footage shows at least three parents confronting the driver outside St.

00:01:57.120 Michael the Archangel Catholic Elementary School. Landmark student transportation, which operates

00:02:02.160 the bus scene in the video, has not responded to requests for comment from True North. So,

00:02:06.320 Jeff, how could a man think it is appropriate to pick up children in a fetish costume?

00:02:11.280 That's a tough one, Isaac. We're talking pink skirt, thigh-high stockings, and a Lolita Line

00:02:16.720 sign plastered on the side of the bus. It's hard to say that there isn't an obvious intent there.

00:02:22.480 But either way, I don't think we're dealing with an individual who's of sound mind here.

00:02:26.320 This guy who got the boot from the York Catholic District School Board on June 18th,

00:02:30.640 after the viral video on June 13th, might have been having some kind of breakdown. Or perhaps this is

00:02:36.320 just what he's into. Maybe he watched a little too much anime and he's taking the cosplay to the next

00:02:40.720 level. I mean, you can try and extend an olive branch and say he's just seeing it as some sort

00:02:45.600 of form of self-expression, oblivious of how it looks to the parents. This driver, who's apparently

00:02:50.320 detached from reality, might have thought this was empowering, not realizing that Western folks see it

00:02:55.440 as a serious red flag around kids. Maybe he was clueless about the professional line he crossed.

00:03:01.200 But let's get real here. Even if that were true, it's no excuse. And it's hard to imagine that he

00:03:05.920 didn't realize this was at least inappropriate. The board's quick axing proves that it was a disaster,

00:03:10.640 waiting to happen. And this misstep gains context amid growing public scrutiny of similar boundary

00:03:16.000 pushing displays like drag queen's story hours and performances in front of children,

00:03:21.200 which have fueled debates about appropriateness. Critics argue that events like these sexualized

00:03:25.680 kids. Likewise, reports of drag shows with provocative elements have led to parental outrage

00:03:29.920 over perceived grooming, echoing the reaction to what we're seeing here with this driver's outfit.

00:03:34.160 The driver could have been emboldened by this cultural shift.

00:03:40.000 US President Donald Trump has increased the price Canada would have to pay to join his proposed

00:03:45.040 Golden Dome defense system, should Ottawa choose to participate. Trump told reporters in Alberta

00:03:50.640 during the G7 summit that Canada would have to pay 71 billion US dollars to be included in the proposed

00:03:56.480 military protection program, an increase of up to 10 billion US dollars from what he'd previously

00:04:01.200 announced. Trump told reporters on Monday, quote, they want to be in 71 billion dollars. They'll be

00:04:07.360 in the dome. Trump announced plans for the 175 billion dollar land, sea and space missile defense

00:04:13.280 system during a press conference at the White House last month. And Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed

00:04:18.560 interest in the project shortly thereafter. However, the US president initially said it would cost Canada

00:04:24.480 61 billion dollars to receive coverage from the missile interception system, which is modeled after Israel's

00:04:29.680 Iron Dome. The additional 10 billion dollar price tag comes after Trump and Carney sat down to meet

00:04:34.480 one on one in Alberta. While the two leaders met to hammer out a trade deal amid a months long tariff

00:04:39.280 dispute, Trump said that the Golden Dome wasn't part of that negotiation, stating that it would have to be

00:04:44.320 a separate deal. The increased price of the Golden Dome is likely to only further sway Canadians' negative opinion of the

00:04:50.160 concept, a majority of whom have already said they don't want to support it. According to a poll conducted

00:04:55.840 last month, 63 percent of Canadians said they didn't want to participate in funding the project and would

00:05:01.600 prefer to see the federal government prioritize spending money on the Canadian armed forces. So, Isaac,

00:05:07.200 is inclusion in the United States' Golden Dome defense system worth the 71 billion dollar price tag?

00:05:12.640 Well, Jeff, first of all, I want to note that that's the price tag as of today. That doesn't mean it's not

00:05:19.120 subject to change tomorrow or at some future date at Donald Trump's discretion, nor does it mean that

00:05:24.880 this is what the project will actually end up costing. For example, we've seen with our own

00:05:29.920 federal government that there is sometimes a huge discrepancy between what they initially say

00:05:34.080 something will cost and what it ends up costing down the road, which could be tenfold the initial

00:05:39.280 projection. However, in the end, Canada having a modern space-integrated missile defense shield

00:05:45.920 at a time of growing global threats from adversaries like China, Russia, North Korea, and others would

00:05:51.920 definitely be something Canadians would be grateful for if the country was ever subject to an attack.

00:05:57.600 But like you mentioned, the poll said that 63 percent of Canadians said they'd rather the federal

00:06:02.080 government spend money on the Canadian armed forces instead of this project. Although ironically,

00:06:07.200 recently, the federal government went with neither, as Carney pledged 4.3 billion dollars in support for

00:06:13.600 Ukraine and new Russia sanctions at the recent G7, to which many Canadians online expressed outrage,

00:06:21.440 arguing that Canada should not be funding foreign countries when our country's own debt exceeds

00:06:27.040 1.263 trillion dollars and the cost of living crisis only worsens. Of course, Carney recently pledged

00:06:34.720 to hit NATO's 2 percent GDP requirement for defense spending. However, NATO is, of course,

00:06:39.920 eyeing a new 5 percent target and the Golden Dome investment would seemingly not count towards this

00:06:45.600 requirement as it's considered foreign procurement, not a national defense expenditure. Paying for the

00:06:51.680 Golden Dome wouldn't reduce Canada's shortfall in meeting the current 2 percent target. To get

00:06:56.640 counted, Canada must boost its own defense spending to contribute through NATO managed programs, not

00:07:01.520 through deals with the U.S. Four people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been arrested after police

00:07:10.480 say they were caught attempting to steal a vehicle from the driveway of Ontario Premier Doug Ford's home

00:07:15.680 early Tuesday morning. Jalo Mohamed, age 23, and Jalo Mohamed, age 23, both of Toronto, have been charged

00:07:23.440 with possession of an electronic device for motor vehicle theft and unlawfully having purchased an automobile

00:07:28.880 master key. Toronto police confirmed the incident took place in the area of Lawrence Avenue West

00:07:33.920 and Royal York Road, the Etobicoke neighborhood where the Premier resides, and the Ontario Premier

00:07:38.720 Doug Ford later confirmed it was his residence that was the suspected target. Speaking at an unrelated

00:07:44.320 press conference later that day, Ford brought up the incident himself, describing a dramatic encounter

00:07:49.520 in which suspects came racing down his street. The Premier said, quote,

00:07:53.520 You want to hear about stupid criminals? So four thugs come racing down my street, masks on, 1.00

00:07:58.880 ready to take the car out of the driveway. Surprise, surprise. At 1230, the two police cars are there,

00:08:04.480 the chase is on. Police said officers observed a suspicious vehicle around 1230 a.m. with individuals

00:08:10.640 inside wearing masks and slowing near a residential driveway. When they attempted a traffic stop,

00:08:15.760 one suspect fled on foot, police said. Officers allegedly found a key reprogramming device and a

00:08:21.360 programmable master key inside the vehicle. Ford used the incident to reiterate his stance on crime

00:08:26.560 and public safety, saying it underscores the need for stricter sentencing. The Premier is routinely

00:08:31.360 protected by the Ontario Provincial Police and Toronto police officers are also stationed at his home.

00:08:36.480 Police released the names of all the suspects except for two on account of their age and standard

00:08:41.200 rules regarding youth offenders. The two youth, aged 16 and 17, also faced charges with one accused of

00:08:48.080 failing to comply with conditions related to an earlier release. So Jeff, who is at fault for the

00:08:52.560 out of control crime wave that Premier Ford is describing? Yeah, the crime wave that Premier

00:08:57.440 Doug Ford describes can't really be pinned on a single culprit, but points to a mix of systemic

00:09:02.080 failures and policy gaps under both provincial and federal oversight. Forge himself has blamed

00:09:06.560 lax sentencing and judicial leniency, arguing that the arrest of four suspects, including two youths,

00:09:12.160 a 16-year-old and 17-year-old with prior release conditions, shows the need for stricter punishments.

00:09:17.680 The presence of a key reprogramming device and master key suggests organized crime tactics,

00:09:22.880 possibly linked to a rise in auto thefts, with Ontario seeing a 45% increase in vehicle thefts

00:09:28.640 from 2022 to 2024, per Provincial Police Stats. Ford's push for tougher laws reflects his view that

00:09:34.960 the justice system, influenced by federal sentencing guidelines under the Liberal government,

00:09:39.760 isn't doing enough to deter repeat offenders. However, fault also lies with broader societal and

00:09:45.440 governmental shortcomings. The involvement of young offenders hints at underlying issues like

00:09:50.240 poverty and lack of youth programs. Ontario cut $10 million from community safety grants in 2023,

00:09:56.480 which some criminologists link to rising juvenile crime. The Ontario Provincial Police, tasked with

00:10:01.840 Ford Security and Toronto Police, who responded at 12.30am, represent a reactive approach rather than a

00:10:07.840 preventative one, suggesting underfunding or poor coordination in crime hotspots like Etobicoke.

00:10:13.840 Federally, Prime Minister Mark Carney's focus on trade and climate over public safety, with no major

00:10:19.120 crime initiative since April, leaves provinces like Ontario to grapple with a 15% spike in violent

00:10:25.120 incidents in 2025. The crime wave Ford highlights is thus a shared failure. Provincial policy gaps,

00:10:31.600 federal neglect, and socioeconomic pressures fueling a cycle of lawlessness.

00:10:35.680 That's it for today, folks. Thanks for tuning in. You can stay on top of new episodes every weekday by

00:10:44.560 subscribing to The Daily Brief on iTunes and Spotify. Also, while you're at it, make sure to hit us with

00:10:49.680 a five-star rating and please leave a review.

Juno News - June 19, 2025

Trump hikes cost for Canada to join the Golden Dome

Episode Stats

Summary

Transcript