As respiratory virus season kicks off and COVID-19 cases continue to rise, provinces and territories are launching their vaccination campaigns. In Quebec, free vaccines will be available only to members of high-risk groups and health-care workers.
A McGill University expert is available to comment on this topic:
The 2025 Ocean State Report from the Copernicus Marine Service, a European Union ocean monitoring organization, has found that sea floor temperatures off the coast of Nova Scotia have risen at twice the rate of surface temperatures over 30 years. Researchers say the rapid warming rate is a result of changes to the climate, including more acute marine heat waves and fewer periods of colder weather.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the safety and efficacy of mifepristone, a drug used widely in medical abortions. The review has raised concerns about potential new restrictions on access to abortion in the United States.
Christopher Labos, MD, is an Associate at McGill’s Office for Science and Society. He can discuss the known evidence on mifepristone and the broader implications of the review.
On Sept. 28, it will be five years since Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman, died in a hospital north of Montreal after having broadcast on Facebook racist and sexist remarks being made about her by health-care staff. The event sparked calls for Quebec to recognize systemic racism.
McGill University experts are available to comment:
According to a report by Quebec researchers studying social inequalities, Quebec’s economy lost $4.2 billion in 2021 due to the ongoing housing crisis — a figure the authors say is likely even higher in 2025.
Manque de logements adéquats : quels coûts sur la prospérité économique? is the first publication in a larger research project conducted by the Observatoire des inégalités du Québec with several partners.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has released an updated list of priority pathogens – sometimes referred to as superbugs – that pose the greatest threat to Canadians. It’s the first update since 2015.
The 29 organisms flagged highlight the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance. They include drug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella, gonorrhea and the deadly fungus Candida auris.
McGill University experts are available to comment on this topic:
Twice in high-profile cases in Quebec within the past week, the courts deemed defendants not criminally responsible because of mental health issues.
This McGill expert can discuss the place of Not Criminally Responsible rulings in our legal system. (She would not comment on any specific cases).
Marie Manikis, Assistant Professor and William Dawson Scholar, Faculty of Law, can comment on criminal justice, criminal law, human rights, sentencing and victims.
The Canadian Climate Institute’s 2024 Early Estimate of National Emissions report warns that Canada won't meet its 2030 climate targets.
The oil and gas sector has seen an increase in emissions, offsetting progress in other sectors, according to the report.
McGill University experts are available to comment on this topic:
The Quebec government has ordered 1,200 LION Electric school buses off the road after one of the vehicles caught fire earlier this week in Montreal. McGill experts are available to comment on the implications of this event, including battery safety, electric vehicle design, materials engineering and fire risk mitigation.
Four major space telescopes have confirmed unusual findings about a rare interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS.
Astronomers using the Hubble, SPHEREx, James Webb and TESS telescopes report that the comet’s early activity and surprising chemical makeup suggest it may have formed in a planetary system very different from our own. Some researchers believe that interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS could even play a role in planet formation when captured by young star systems.
The comet is the oldest ever recorded and one of only three known to have originated beyond our solar system.
The Canadian Medical Association is warning that science is under attack and false health information is spreading rapidly, with serious implications for public trust and patient health.
A statement released Wednesday in collaboration with research and clinical organizations across Canada called for collective action to counter misinformation and support science.
The following experts from McGill University are available to comment:
Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. A new World Health Organization report underscores the urgency of suicide prevention, estimating that 727,000 people died by suicide in 2021 alone.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported its first Ebola outbreak in three years, which has already claimed 15 lives.
McGill University experts are available to discuss concerns about the world’s ability to respond quickly, particularly as recent U.S. funding cuts put global health programs under strain.
Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, has been charged with attempting to stage a coup d’état and reclaim power following his loss of the 2022 election. The verdict and sentencing phase of the trial is now beginning.
This McGill expert can talk about Bolsonaro’s trial; the legacy of dictatorships in Brazil; the effects of U.S tariffs against Brazil; and human rights and amnesty.
In Quebec’s Montérégie region, residents are facing a growing water crisis, particularly in Mercier and Saint-Rémi, due to the depletion of resources in underground aquifers. The water scarcity has affected agriculture, forcing some farmers to abandon vegetable crops.
Meanwhile, the level of the St. Lawrence River is notably lower than usual for this time of year, affecting fishing, boating and shipping around Montreal.
A McGill expert is available to speak on this topic.
