The International Court of Justice ruled today that countries must act on the “urgent and existential threat” of climate change. The advisory opinion, backed by all 15 of the court’s judges, potentially opens the door to further legal action by states that seek to hold other states accountable.
This McGill expert is available to comment:
A coalition of 40 AI researchers – including signatories from Meta, OpenAI and Montreal-based Mila – has issued a joint position paper warning that as advanced AI systems evolve, we may be losing the ability to understand or monitor how they “think.”
As Montreal experiences the convergence of a heat wave, wildfire smoke from the Prairies, and recent extreme storms, McGill experts are available to discuss the science behind these converging climate-driven events.
About one-third of Canadians are now obese, with women and young adults most affected, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It found obesity rates accelerated significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This expert from McGill University is available to comment:
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a 50 per cent tariff on all copper imported into the United States.
These McGill experts are available to comment:
Diya Jiang, PhD candidate and course lecturer, Department of Political Science, has expertise in Canada-U.S. relations, supply chain geopolitics, public opinion and international political economy.
Diya.jiang [at] mail.mcgill.ca (English, French)
As extreme weather events become more frequent, flooding poses a growing risk in many parts of Canada.
Djordje Romanic is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at McGill University. His research focuses on climate modelling. He can discuss Canada’s flood forecasting infrastructure, the limits of current predictive models, and how climate change is reshaping rainfall patterns and short-term weather extremes.
Canada’s Minister of Finance and National Revenue, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, has announced that he will soon bring forward legislation to rescind the digital sales tax.
Allison Christians, Professor, Faculty of Law, H. Heward Stikeman Chair in Tax Law can speak about tax law and technology, domestic and international tax law and policy, and international law and institutions.
allison.christians [at] mcgill.ca (English, French)
With a hot start to summer and the swimming season, health experts are urging caution around water. Drowning remains one of the most common causes of accidental death in Canadian children.
Hussein Wissanji, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at McGill University and a pediatric emergency physician at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, is available to speak on how to prevent drowning incidents, particularly in young children.
The federal government is expected to overhaul Canada’s cancer screening task force following criticism that its recommendations are outdated and lacked expert input. Breast cancer screening is a key focus, with growing pressure to lower the starting age to 40.
McGill University experts are available to speak to the debate, including:
The United Nations Charter, a treaty that is the founding document of the UN, was signed on June 26, 1945. These McGill experts can provide insights into various aspects of the UN’s role today:
Megan Bradley, Professor, Department of Political Science and Director, Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID) can speak about refugees and migration, human rights and humanitarian relief.
According to data from Statistics Canada for the first quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate in Canada among those between the ages of 15 and 24 is the highest it has been since the mid-1990s. These McGill experts can provide insights:
Matissa Hollister, Assistant Professor, Desautels Faculty of Management, can speak about the labour force and labour market, the changing nature of work, comparative labour and industrial policies, and employment instability and insecurity.
Figures from Statistics Canada show that in April and May 2025, tourist travel by car and air between the U.S. and Canada continued to decline in both directions compared to 2024 levels.
These McGill experts are available to comment on this subject:
As measles cases surge in Canada, six babies have been born with congenital measles to unvaccinated mothers in Ontario since last fall. The MMR vaccine isn’t safe during pregnancy, so doctors urge anyone who could become pregnant to check their immunity now. In addition to being dangerous to newborns, measles can cause pneumonia, miscarriage and other life-threatening complications for expectant mothers.
Here is an expert from McGill University who can provide comment on this issue:
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Monday that the government of Canada will be spending 2 per cent of its GDP on defence by the end of the current fiscal year in March –meeting the NATO target – and will take various steps to strengthen Canada’s military capabilities.
This McGill expert can provide insights:
As wildfires continue to burn across Western Canada, thick smoke is triggering widespread air quality alerts and raising concerns about health, infrastructure and environmental impacts, including in neighbouring provinces and parts of the United States. McGill University experts are available to provide insights on these topics.
