Category Archives: Science
Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes Canada’s west coast
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake was reported today (Saturday) at 2:23 p.m. PDT off the western Coast of Canada. Initial estimates place the epicentre of the earthquake 170 km west of Port McNeil on BC’s Vancouver Island, according to Earthquakes Canada.
Overdoses, not COVID-19, drive spike in LA homeless deaths
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nearly 2,000 homeless people died in Los Angeles County during the first year of the pandemic, an increase of 56% from the previous year, driven mainly by drug overdoses, authorities said.
In election misinformation fight, ‘2020 changed everything’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Beth Bowers grew up in the 1960s and 1970s with parents who marched in protests, wrote letters to members of Congress and voted in elections big and small.
EU law targets Big Tech over hate speech, disinformation
BRUSSELS (AP) — Big tech companies like Google and Facebook parent Meta will have to police their platforms more strictly to better protect European users from hate speech, disinformation and other harmful online content under landmark EU legislation a...
Biden admin to promote availability of COVID antiviral pill
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his administration want Americans and their doctors to know that the country has an ample supply of the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid and that it no longer needs to be rationed.
US begins phasing out COVID-driven asylum restrictions
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Biden administration said Friday it has begun phasing out use of a pandemic-related rule that allows migrants to be expelled without an opportunity to seek asylum as 22 states fight in court to preserve the
Alberta increases funding for more cataract surgeries in private facilities
EDMONTON — The Alberta government says it will fund 25 per cent more cataract surgeries this year in privately-run surgical facilities in an effort to reduce surgery backlogs. Health Minister Jason Copping said the province will fund 35,000 of the eye
Plan to ban menthol cigarettes prompts late lobbying blitz
WASHINGTON (AP) — As federal officials finalize a long-awaited plan to ban menthol cigarettes, dozens of interest groups have met with White House staffers to try to influence the process, which has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of
Mask, vaccine mandates for travel defended as government eases border restrictions
OTTAWA — The government signalled it is aspiring to a "more sustainable" approach to COVID-19 restrictions at the border with several small changes Friday, but public health officials say vaccine and mask mandates remain important. Unvaccinated childre...
Youth advocate says N.B. should revisit decision to end COVID restrictions in schools
FREDERICTON — New Brunswick's government should review its decision to lift the COVID-19 mask mandate in schools because it was made without the proper evidence to justify it, Kelly Lamrock, the province's child, youth and seniors advocate, said Friday...
