|
Written by Jane Gerster Copy Editor, Digital News
|
|
|
|
Good morning. The moon will block the sun today for viewers in Spain, where authorities are bracing for an influx of tourists while grappling with severe wildfires. More below. And, while scientists welcome Canada's new medical countermeasures lab, they also have a warning for the government. Plus, the murder trial that's being livestreamed for the world to watch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FEATURED STORIES
|
|
|
|
(Nick Ingram/The Associated Press)
|
|
|
Spain dealing with influx of solar eclipse tourists while still battling wildfires
|
|
|
Major wildfires still burn in Spain, one of which is in the totality path of today's eclipse — a major tourism draw on a day forecasted to be "very high or extreme" on the forest fire index.
What's happening: In anticipation of hundreds of thousands of eclipse tourists, Spanish authorities are deploying 35,000 officers to outdoor gatherings — to nix any possible new fires. "We've had an extremely tough summer in Spain," said the country's secretary-general for civil protection and emergencies. Spain is one of many European countries smothering under a heat wave since May.
Why it matters: It is not surprising to Jan Cami, an Ontario physics and astronomy professor, that heat waves and wildfires can't keep astro-tourists from their chance to see an eclipse. He says he hopes the tourists reflect on what they see around them — about the local wildfire fight, and about the far-reaching impacts of climate change. And for those who don't see it today, there is always next year, when a total eclipse will cross southern Spain before continuing to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
What about Canada? The moon will only partly cover the sun for observers in Canada, with Newfoundland seeing the most coverage. Authorities are reminding viewers to always use eclipse glasses to protect their eyes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The hurdles facing Canada's planned pandemic-busting lab
|
|
|
The federal government announced a design contract last week to build a medical countermeasures lab, to help head off future pandemics.
What's happening: Experts welcome plans for the $267-million lab — "better late than never," one scientist said — which is scheduled to open in 2033 next to Winnipeg's National Microbiology Laboratory and intended to bridge a critical early-stage gap in testing vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostic tools. Still, they're not getting their hopes all the way up just yet. They say if there's no sustained funding and decades-long investment in human talent, then not much will change.
Why it matters: The feds have some mistakes to learn from, multiple scientists say, and will need to maintain support for the lab even when there is no immediate health threat. You have to "carry on for several years," said McGill University's Dr. Joanne Liu — "even during the quiet times when it's off everybody's radar."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What to know about the trial of Lindsay Clancy, accused of killing her 3 children
|
|
|
On Jan. 24, 2023, Clancy killed five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-month-old Callan. The question at trial is whether she should be held criminally responsible.
What's happening: Clancy's legal team is arguing she shouldn't be held criminally responsible because she was mentally ill — in the grip of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis, a rare condition the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health says occurs in approximately one to two cases per 1,000 births. Prosecutors argue Clancy is guilty of first-degree murder, having plotted to get her husband out of the house so she could carry out the murders.
Why it matters: The case is making international headlines while the trial in Plymouth, Mass., is being livestreamed on CourtTV and YouTube, among others. The prosecutor has urged jurors to focus on specific actions Clancy took and the intent behind them, not to see it as "a public debate about women's mental health."
|
|
|
|
| | | |
