Hello, this is Hanna Lee. 

Generation Z is facing the worst youth unemployment we've seen in a quarter-century. We'll look at what's causing that. Then, we have some details on a senators' trip to Alberta that cost taxpayers $118,000. And finally, a close look into the ongoing protests in Los Angeles.

Also, two corrections: Yesterday's story on U.S. travel to Canada stated Americans spent $15.3 million in this country last year. It's in fact $15.3 billion; the article has been updated online. And the Ohio city where Alcoholics Anonymous was founded is spelled Akron, not Akran, as I had written. 

Gen Z faces the highest youth unemployment rate in decades. Here is how it's different

Students at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver are walking outside in the rain. As part of Gen Z., these graduates are facing a bleak jobs forecast. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Canada's youngest generation of workers is facing the highest youth unemployment rate this country has seen since the mid-1990s, apart from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cause of the trouble: A combination of economic conditions, like the post-pandemic inflation crisis, a surge in population growth and a potential recession due to an ongoing trade war with the U.S. Youth unemployment can be a sort of canary in the coal mine, one expert says, potentially foreshadowing wider troubles in the labour market.

'Wage scarring': Some recent university graduates told CBC they are working part time in retail just to make ends meet while they look for a full-time job in their field. It's common for new grads to take jobs that only require a high school diploma, despite having a degree. But being unemployed at a young age during a recession can lead to earnings losses for many years; it's a phenomenon called "wage scarring." It isn't usually permanent — but it can be persistent. 

15 senators took a $118K trip to Alberta. Some colleagues question its relevance

Senators pose for a photo as part of a 'familiarization tour' of Alberta taken in July. (senatorclement/X)

Last July, 15 senators went on a three-day "familiarization tour" of Alberta that cost taxpayers $118,000. It was all by the book, but just how necessary was it? A Senate standing committee is now reviewing whether these tours need to be better supervised.

More details: Activities included a visit to the Calgary Stampede and a meeting with members of Banff's tourism industry. The organizer, Alberta Sen. Scott Tannas, defended the trip, saying it included a heavy schedule with multiple meetings. Similar visits have been planned for this summer, with another to Alberta and one to Churchill, Man.

The criticism: Several senators who did not attend questioned the visit, as it wasn't linked to specific committee work. They were also uneasy with the attendance of three senators' spouses.

"I'm all for helping senators see their families and sometimes paying for spouses to travel with us to Ottawa," one said. "But it can't be a free pass to pay for a vacation in the Rockies."

Critics say senators should be more prudent in their spending, especially given they are non-elected officials.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

As curfew takes effect in L.A., protesters — and the governor — say the military isn't needed at all

➤ LOS ANGELES

Members of the Los Angeles Police Department stand in a line across a street in downtown L.A. Tuesday as protesters gather. Protests in the city had diminished compared to demonstrations over the weekend. (Rhianna Schmunk/CBC)

There were fewer clashes between protesters and police officers Tuesday than there were Sunday. Still, yet another protest simmered behind a federal detention centre in downtown Los Angeles.

Tuesday's protest was isolated to the block around the Metropolitan Detention Centre. Elsewhere, the only signs of unrest were days-old "F--k ICE" graffiti and the husk of a sole burned-out car.

"We are here to protest, not to fight," said Delilah Franco, 22, before taking the mic to remind the growing crowd to stay out of the road and on the sidewalk.

"We're here chanting to let the people in that [federal detention] building know we're here for them, and they're not alone … we gotta keep fighting until there's some change being made."

In case you missed it

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filed an emergency request to block the Trump administration from using the National Guard and marines to help with immigration raids in L.A.
   
• The U.S. has condemned Canada, the U.K., Norway, Australia and New Zealand after the five countries imposed sanctions on two Israeli cabinet ministers for "inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank."
   
• Juliette Powell has died at 54. The former MuchMusic host was also the first Black Miss Canada.
   
• The District of Squamish, B.C., located about 45 kilometres north of Vancouver, has declared a state of local emergency due to an active wildfire.
   
• Canada is putting $1.5 million toward Pride parade security, as Prime Minister Mark Carney lamented a "backlash" against 2SLGBTQ+ rights.

And, in today's good news...

N.L. teenager named 'hero' by World Oceans Day committee

Brody King, 14, was named Ocean Hero of the Year for his effort to protect local waters from an invasive crab species. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC)

Brody King, 14, has been deemed a hero, after he helped remove the invasive European green crab from his community of Change Islands, N.L. He spotted the strange species while walking near the coast, correctly identified it and sent samples to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Now, he's been named N.L.'s first Ocean Hero of the Year. "I've been on the ocean since I was a little kid, since I could walk," he said. "It means a lot to me that we could help the ocean and protect it."