We all know that music can be good for the mind, body, and soul, which is why researchers continue to look at how music can be used for treating all manner of maladies.

A recent study at UC Irvine took saliva samples from a choir before and after they performed a piece by Beethoven. They found that a specific antibody—something called secretory immunoglobulin A—increased by 240% by the simple act of singing. This antibody’s job is to coat your throat, airways, and gut with a coating designed to protect us against any kind of respiratory virus we may breathe in.

How? Singing stimulates the vagus nerve, which controls our “rest and digest” responses. Singing helps the nervous system calm down, reduces stress hormones, and boosts your immune system.

So maybe the next time you feel a cold coming on, you might want to spend some time singing.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Today, sampling is a common practice governed by a myriad of legalities and limited by only your imagination and the technology at our disposal. But back in the 1950s, there were no laws regarding sampling, and the technology was primitive. This did not stop two comedic songwriters, Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman, who created a mashup of spoken word and clips from songs of the day.

The skit—which is really what it was—was called “The Flying Saucers” and featured 18 song clips spliced in between cheesy and cringey setups. No one had ever done anything like this before, which meant that copyright laws weren’t equipped to deal with this new practice.

Music publishers tried to sue them, but all the cases were thrown out of court because it was ruled that “Flying Saucer” constituted a brand new recording. Buckman and Goodman went on to record a string of these records, all of which are, frankly, terrible, but they are important historically. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkOMmjLoz-M

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Loud music is generally considered to be bad for your health, especially your ears, if you partake for too long, too often. But there are a couple of academic studies that suggest that when it comes to pain, loud music might be just the thing you need.

These studies, conducted in the US and China back in 2022, exposed mice to loudish noises (sounds just above background noise), including music. They did this for 20 minutes for three consecutive days. The boffins found that the pain response in these mice was greatly reduced afterwards and lasted for up to two days.

There is a threshold, though. Above a certain volume, there was no further effect on sensations of pain. No one is quite sure why this works, so research is ongoing. Meanwhile, the next time you get some kind of ache, try playing some of your favourite music for at least 20 minutes. Not too loud, though.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

EDMONTON – Leon Draisaitl scored a pair of goals and Evan Bouchard chipped in with three assists as the Edmonton Oilers dug deep to stave off elimination, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday to force Game 6 in California.

Vasily Podkolzin and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers who had previously allowed six separate leads to slip away in the first four games of the best-of-seven playoff series.

Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a pair of assists. Edmonton now owns an all-time record of 18-3 when scoring first in a game when facing elimination.

Alex Killorn replied for the Ducks who take a 3-2 lead back home in their first playoff series since 2018.

Connor Ingram made 29 stops to record the win in Edmonton’s net, while Ville Husso recorded 10 saves for Anaheim after coming in to relieve Lukas Dostal, who allowed three goals on nine shots.

For the fifth straight game the Oilers struck first, scoring on the game’s first shot just 2:22 into the contest as Podkolzin beat Dostal up high for his second of the post-season.

Edmonton took a 2-0 lead 8:33 into the opening period as a point shot was deflected twice, the second time through Dostal’s legs by Hyman, who recorded his second of the playoffs.

The Oilers took a three-goal lead just 1:14 later as Draisaitl tipped a Bouchard point shot in for his second of the playoffs. That spelled an early end of the night for Dostal. It was the fifth fastest three goals to start a playoff game in Edmonton franchise history.

Anaheim got on the board with their lethal power play 8:26 into the second frame as Mason McTavish dropped it back to Killorn, who extended his points streak to four games with his third goal of the playoffs.

Edmonton responded with a power-play goal of its own a couple minutes later on a wicked one-timer by Draisaitl for his second of the game. Draisaitl tied Wayne Gretzky for the most post-season power-play goals in franchise history at 23.

There was no scoring in the third.

The Ducks outshot Edmonton 24-8 over the final 40 minutes.

NOTES

Edmonton has played the most playoff games of any NHL team since 2022 with 80, two more than the Florida Panthers, who beat the Oilers in the last two Stanley Cup finals before failing to qualify this season … Playing in his 80th career playoff game, Bouchard collected his 88th point, moving into a tie for third place all-time for players through 80 games with Brian Leetch, behind only Bobby Orr (92) and Paul Coffey (92) … McDavid (63 points) passed Adam Oates for the second-most points in NHL history when trailing in a playoff series. Only Gretzky (80) has more.

UP NEXT

Game 6 takes place Thursday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Over the weekend, an especially potent drug supply led to 29 overdose calls, as well as the suspected-overdose deaths of three people in Regina.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is encouraging the use of take-home naloxone kits. According to the Saskatoon Fire Department, they are also experiencing a significant spike, with over 500 overdose calls so far in April.

Meanwhile,the safe consumption site in Saskatoon, Prairie Harm Reduction, was recently closed. Regina’s Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre continues to allow the safe consumption of illicit drugs on their premises — as well as offering drug testing services.

However, the future of safe consumption sites in the province is uncertain.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A long-standing hockey rivalry added another chapter Tuesday night, this time on sleds.

Top para hockey prospects from Canada and the United States faced off at Merlis Belsher Place in a development series matchup that showcased the next generation of talent in the sport.

Before the puck even dropped, the crowd and players were part of a uniquely Canadian moment.

When technical issues cut out the arena speakers during the national anthem, students in attendance stepped in, singing “O Canada.”

While billed as a development game, the intensity on the ice reflected the deep-rooted rivalry between the two nations. Coach Steve Arsenault explained that although it’s not a serious competitive game, it still feels like there is a lot on the line.

“Every time we’re on the ice, we want to win… although it is friendly, there is a lot here that’s on the line,” said Arsenault

On the ice, the game remained tight throughout.

Tied 1–1 heading into the third period, the deadlock was finally broken, with Canada capitalizing to secure the win.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Bombers charted a new direction in the CFL Canadian Draft—possibly with a nod to the upcoming rule changes.

At fourth overall,  the Bombers selected defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth from Wake Forest. The Edmonton native played high school football in Toronto and then his senior season south of the border.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 237 pounds, Gatkuoth has agreed to attend mini-camp with the Denver Broncos, per 3DownNation. which would would delay his availability to the Bombers.

Gatkuoth had 39 tackles and six sacks in his season at Wake Forest.

He would be the only Canadian defensive end on the Bombers roster. The Bombers took a defensive end in the first round in 2023 (Anthony Bennett, 8th overall) and in 2019 (Jonathan Kongbo, 5th overall).

In the second round, the Bombers traded up to the 10th pick to select tight end Dante Daniels from North Carolina State. Daniels is listed at 6-foot-6, 272 pounds—a size of player that doesn’t generally exist on CFL offences. He caught 10 passes for 106 yards in his final two seasons of NCAA football.

The Bombers are a team that has used an extra offensive linemen often. They are mainly used as a blocker, but occasionally as a receiver (as Tui Eli caught a touchdown last season). If Daniels can provide blocking on the edge and a better receiving option, that could be very valuable. And with the rule change coming this season to speed the game up with a 35-second play clock, a player who can both block and catch effectively will increase in value.

The Bombers gave up a second-round pick in 2027 to move up from 13 to select Daniels.

With their second pick in the second round, the Bombers chose tackle Kevin Cline from Boston College. Cline is a mammoth body at 6-foot-7, 320 pounds. He started all 11 games at right tackle last season.

Cline has signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.

In the third round, the Bombers selected linebacker Charles-Elliot Bouliane from Montreal. At 5-foot-10, 229 pounds, he was a valuable special teamer for the Carabins in his university career.

The Bombers other selections Tuesday were:

4th round (33rd overall) – DB Ethan Stuart, McMaster University

5th round (42) – LB Brody Clark, York University

6th round (51) – REC Ben Britton, University of Calgary

7th round (60) – REC Joshua Jack, Saint Mary’s University

8th round (69) – K Brady Lidster, University of Windsor

The Bombers will have two picks in Wednesday’s Global Draft, 4th and 13th overall.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

You’ve likely seen them up and down the grocery aisle, and if you haven’t, there’s a good chance they’ll be coming to a store near you.

Digital price tags, also known as electronic shelf labels (ESLs), are replacing traditional paper price tags at many grocery retailers.

ESLs use wireless technology and are touted for being more efficient, allowing grocers to adjust prices across a store within seconds. “The technology of digital shelf labelling can help save labour time. It’s onerous to go around and change all the stickers and the fact that this can occur in real time actually brings an online reality to a brick and mortar context quicker,” said Canadian Shield Institute managing director Vass Bednar.

However, ESLs are not without controversy. Digital price tags could be a game-changer for consumers with the use of dynamic pricing, where prices fluctuate based on supply and demand.

“Dynamic pricing is basically about optimizing the exchange between supply and demand. If inventories go up, prices go down, inventories are low, prices go up,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.

Airlines, ride-sharing companies, and ticket retailers already use this type of pricing strategy. While ESLs can allow grocers to instantly discount food nearing expiry and curb waste, the worry is that this type of technology could allow retailers to change prices based on market conditions like weather, for example, charging more for ice cream on a hot summer day.

“For pricing efficiencies, I’m sure retailers could argue the ability to discount quickly is fundamentally good for people and that’s true. But where will the transparency come from? How many times per day could a digital shelf label be advertised?” said Bednar.

“The risk is also people losing that sense of price anchors and the ability to comparison shop.”

Perhaps, more troubling, industry analysts say, is surveillance pricing. “Surveillance pricing is dynamic pricing on steroids,” said Charlebois.

With the use of artificial intelligence, there is growing concern that digital price tags could open the door to surveillance or personal pricing where different prices are set for different shoppers based on several factors, including demographics, personal interests, and transaction history.

“Surveillance pricing would likely discriminate against some consumers while favoring others,” said Charlebois. “There’s no evidence that it is happening right now in Canada, but online it’s not impossible,” he added.

Back in December, Instacart in the U.S. was heavily criticized after an investigation revealed an AI-based pricing experiment where different shoppers were given different prices for the same groceries on the platform. It’s why, going forward, some are calling for a proactive approach to protect consumers.

“My worry would be that we wait for more proof, more evidence, and read through more privacy policies instead of recognizing that it is something that has occurred in the past could become more part of our every day and that we proactively set the terms, set the right guardrails,” said Bednar.

Recently, the federal NDP introduced a motion to ban surveillance pricing in Canada, but it was voted down. However, the party has since launched an online petition calling for a national ban on the practice.

Consumer Matters reached out to some major grocers, asking about the use of ESLs and the impact on customers.

Loblaw stated in part:

“…These labels generally improve in-store operations by automating updates and reducing our paper usage. For customers, they aren’t materially different from paper tags. We’ve seen improved price accuracy, especially on sale items, as updates are applied consistently across all products overnight rather than manually.
Our pricing and promotional practices have not changed with these labels.”

Sobeys stated:

“Electronic shelf labels improve efficiency and accuracy by allowing our teams to update prices and product information throughout the store. This simplifies day-to-day store operations by reducing the time our teams spend on manual updates and freeing up more time to support customers in-store. In any particular store, pricing will not vary by customer, time of day, or demand—everyone in a store pays the same price for the same product. The use of electronic shelf labels is about clearer, more modern pricing displays—nothing more.”

Save-On-Foods:

“We have not installed electronic shelf labels in any of our Save-On-Foods stores. While we don’t currently have plans to install them, like many retailers, we actively monitor industry developments and regularly assess whether emerging technologies are the right fit for our business.”

Meantime, the Canadian Competition Bureau says it’s closely looking into how pricing algorithms are used, and how they can affect competition. The Bureau says it’s committed to approaching its work in the grocery industry “with heightened vigilance and scrutiny.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Six months after Michael Calvo was found not criminally responsible (NCR) for the second-degree murder of his on-and-off again girlfriend Ana Paula Kitterhing De Sousa, the Ontario Review Board (ORB) has granted Calvo “indirectly supervised” access into the community.

According to the ORB disposition released Monday, the ORB ordered that among other privileges, the person in charge of Calvo, in their discretion, may permit Calvo “to enter the community of the Greater Toronto Area, indirectly supervised.”

The disposition came following a hearing on April 16th at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Health (CAMH).

The ORB says indirectly supervised means “an accused need not be in the company of a staff member, approved person or delegate, but must agree to abide by the reporting and supervisory conditions established by the persons in charge of the hospital.

“Indirect supervision may include the required use of such tools as itineraries and/or logbooks, telephone or in-person checks, or reporting to the person in charge or their delegate as required.”

The family of Kitterhing De Sousa is outraged by the decision.

“I’m shaking thinking about it. I’m scared. I’ve been scared since this happened. In fact, I was scared of him before this happened because my mom told me herself she was worried about her own safety. She had tried to leave him multiple times. That wasn’t permitted, obviously, ” Raquel Almeida Margulies, the victim’s daughter told Global News.

“I continue to suffer from really bad PTSD and nightmares, I don’t feel safe in my home and I’m really concerned about other women in the community, about my community,” added Almeida Margulies, holding back tears.

“We were told beyond the NCR hearing, that this would be an impossibility by the Crown. That he would be in for a minimum of years,” said David Margulies, the victim’s stepson.

“To think that a 300-pound man who stabbed to death a five-foot, 110-pound woman 26 times could released into the community less than six months after being found NCR and less than three years from the date of the offence is outrageous to me,” he added.

It was Oct. 15, 2023, when Calvo was arrested outside his home near Old Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue. He admitted he had killed his girlfriend 26 times. Kitterhing De Sousa, 57, was found inside the home dead.

On Oct. 27, 2025, a judge found Calvo NCR after forensic psychiatrists for the Crown and defence agreed that a NCR defence was available because Calvo could not appreciate the moral wrongfulness of his actions.

The family of Kitterhing De Sousa attended the ORB hearing earlier this month and said doctors and experts said that Calvo still maintains the delusions about what happened on that night.

“He’s a man who is currently delusional enough to maintain the same beliefs he had on the night he killed her, less than three years ago,” said Margulies.

Harry Margulies, the victim’s former partner, said the system fails to recognize the needs of the victims.

“The system, and I understand it, is wrong for the following reason. Nobody making a decision here is personally liable. What are the chances he will not re-commit,” Harry said.

“The Ontario Review Board does not comment publicly on matters under its jurisdiction beyond what is set out in its formal dispositions and written reasons,” said Gavin S. MacKenzie, general counsel for the ORB.

The statement said, in this case, the hearing was held on April 16.

The board’s reasons for disposition, which will explain the panel’s decision, are expected to be distributed to the parties by approximately mid‑May, consistent with the board’s objective of issuing reasons within 30 days of a hearing.

“I would also clarify that, in all detention order dispositions, any privileges set out in the disposition represent potential privileges that may be available to the accused during the upcoming clinical year. The inclusion of a privilege in a disposition does not mean it will automatically be exercised,” said MacKenzie.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk says he feels a mix of excitement and gratitude as he prepares for a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Speaking with Global News Morning Edmonton from training in Houston, Kutryk said the opportunity follows years of preparation after being hired by the Canadian Space Agency in 2017.

“I’ve dreamt of going to space my whole life,” he said, adding he feels “a lot of Canadian pride” in being part of the mission.

Kutryk said the launch is set for September from Florida and will include four crew members travelling to the space station for what is known as a long-duration stay.

He said the team will have two main responsibilities: operating and maintaining the station, and conducting scientific research.

“It’s a very complex machine… maybe the most complicated machine humans have ever made,” he said, noting experiments conducted in orbit often focus on areas such as medicine and health that cannot be replicated on Earth.

Originally from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., Kutryk said his journey to space involved “a lot of hard work” as well as support from others, encouraging young people to pursue their passions.

“It’s never too early to find what your passion is,” he said, recalling his own early interest in space and aviation.

Kutryk also reflected on the broader impact of space exploration, saying it can help bring people together and highlight Canada’s role on the world stage.

He is scheduled to launch Sept. 12 from the Kennedy Space Center aboard a Falcon 9 rocket built by SpaceX.

As part of the mission, Kutryk said he plans to bring several personal and symbolic items, including a family heirloom — a stopwatch from the late 1800s passed down through generations after his family immigrated from Ukraine to Alberta.

He said the item serves as a reminder of how far his family, and technology, has come.

 

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.