CTV National News for Tuesday, March 31, 2026: Outspoken human rights champion Stephen Lewis dies at 88

Graham Richardson examines Pierre Poilievre's push for Ottawa to cut the federal tax on fuel until the end of 2026, as businesses and consumers feel the squeeze; John Vennavally-Rao has the latest on Artemis II's mission and what issues the crew encountered as they conducted a series of important tests; Andrew Johnson has more on the arrest made by Vancouver police and how widespread the issue of Pokémon card theft is becoming in Canada.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is set to become the first non-American beyond low Earth orbit on a historic mission around the Moon; U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to declare mission accomplished in Iran soon, while continuing to criticize NATO; Restrictions on American alcohol imports are driving demand for Canadian made spirits, giving local distilleries a major boost.

Former diplomat and noted advocate Stephen Lewis, father of new federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis, dies at 88 after a battle with cancer; As a new wave of strikes hit Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump tells allies facing high fuel costs to 'get their own oil, and as the Iran conflict continues to escalate, so do the prices at the pump. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford struck a new housing agreement aimed at cutting costs for buyers; with Canadians feeling the pinch as the global conflict in the Middle East and seasonal changes prompt rising gas prices, and after winning the NDP leadership with A 56 per cent of the vote, Avi Lewis now faces the challenge of rebuilding the party after significant losses.

Delegates in Winnipeg express both excitement and disappointment as Avi Lewis won in a majority vote; the not-for-profit grocery store concept has been gaining momentum in New York City, but it’s unclear if Toronto will approve; Bill C-12 has now become law, changing the way Canada accepts immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and more.

Protestors in both Canada and the U.S. made their voices heard at today’s massive ‘No Kings’ rally, fans at today’s friendly match against Iceland say the massive amounts of traffic and construction at the stadium was a bother; Algonquin College says the closures are once again due to the cap in international student enrollment; and more.

Joy Malbon has the latest on the arrest of golf legend Tiger Woods after he was taken into custody on Friday and charged with driving under the influence; The Toronto Blue Jays secured their first win of the season as they bested the Athletics in a 3-2 victory in their home opener at the Rogers Centre; Laura Brown shares the story of a family in New Brunswick who incurred a $20,000 hospital bill after a loved one waited 18 months for a nursing home bed.

Judy Trinh examines the importance of the spending milestone and how Canada was able to meet the benchmark set by NATO; Liberal MP Michael Ma is facing scrutiny after an exchange with MP Margaret McCuaig-Johnson regarding forced labour in China. Annie Bergeron-Oliver explains; Abigail Bimman provides an update on a B.C. mother and her 7-year-old daughter who have been detained in a Texas ICE facility for 13 days.

Joy Malbon reports on the landmark case that could set a precedent for big tech after a jury found Meta and YouTube created platforms to keep minors addicted; Kathy Le has the latest on an investigation by the RCMP into current and former members of Calgary's City Council, including former mayor Jyoti Gondek; Laura Brown reports on the show of encouragement for women after Fredericton, N.B., City Coun. Cassandra LeBlanc brought her 7-week-old daughter to a meeting.

Adrian Ghobrial reports on the investigation into the plane crash that killed two pilots and injured dozens of others at LaGuardia airport; Allison Bamford reports on the factors contributing to the labour shortage in certain sectors, such as the service industry, for Canadian small businesses; Calgarians are rallying against a rezoning policy which allows for more housing types on a single property. Kathy Le has more on why thousands want it repealed.