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.
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.
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.
Police say the 31-year-old alleged gunman is not co-operating with investigators. Cole Tomas Allen is highly educated and has no criminal record, but it appears Allen himself provided a window into his alleged motive. According to U.S. President Donald Trump, Allen sent his family a manifesto shortly before the attack. Mike Armstrong has more on what we are learning about the suspect.
Allen arrived in Washington, D.C., on April 24 from the coastal town of Torrance, Calif., where he had worked as a part-time tutor and game developer and graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical engineering, the New York Times and Reuters reported.
According to the New York Times, Allen was born in Los Angeles County and is the eldest of four siblings. Former college mates have described him as a hardworking individual with strong Christian values.
During his time as an undergraduate student, Allen belonged to a campus Christian fellowship and was involved in the Nerf Club, the U.S. outlet reported, where members organized foam-toy battles on campus.
A fellowship member told the New York Times that Allen generally kept to himself, was studious and was outspoken and passionate about his evangelical Christian beliefs.
“He was definitely a strong believer in evangelical Christianity at the time that I knew him,” the fellowship member, Elizabeth Terlinden, told the outlet.
News of Allen’s arrest reportedly sparked confusion among his students, including Max Harris, a high school senior whom Allen had been tutoring for several months.
“He seemed like a completely average guy,” Harris told the New York Times on Saturday night as he gathered with others outside Allen’s home, swarmed with federal investigators.
“Like, I never would have expected anything like this from a guy like him.”
FBI officers leave the scene after responding to an address connected to Cole Tomas Allen, the shooting suspect at the White House correspondents' dinner on April 26, 2026, in Torrance, Calif.
AP Photo/William Lang
Allen obtained his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017 and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025, according to Reuters.
Bin Tang, a professor of computer science at the university, told the New York Times he taught Allen in several lectures.
“I am very shocked to see the news,” Tang reportedly said in an email to the New York Times. “He was a very good student indeed, always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions.”
Caltech said in a statement to Reuters that a person of that name graduated in 2017.
Politically, he was registered as a “no party preference” voter — California’s equivalent of an independent — and the only political donation on record under his name is a $25 contribution to Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, the New York Times reported.
Allen attended Pacific Lutheran High School in Gardena, Calif., where he was remembered by a former volleyball teammate for his inquisitiveness and intellect, who told NBC News that Allen was a “borderline genius” and “super stable.”
“Other people study hard,” the ex-teammate recalled. “He didn’t have to study. It would just come to him. He was really, really smart.”
Ahead of travelling to Washington, D.C., according to written notes reportedly belonging to Allen and shared with the New York Times by law enforcement officials, Allen gave his students and colleagues a series of explanations for his absence and, before leaving, told his mother and father that he had an interview.
In its release identifying Allen as the alleged shooter, the DOJ said the 31-year-old suspect made a reservation at the Washington Hilton hotel for three nights, from April 24 to April 26, and that he travelled to the capital by train on April 24 from his home near Los Angeles to Chicago, then from Chicago to Washington, D.C., before checking into the hotel later that evening.
FBI agents work on April 26, 2026, at an address in Torrance, Calif., connected to Cole Tomas Allen, who was identified as the shooting suspect at the White House correspondents' dinner the night before.
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
His writings appeared to outline plans to look for certain U.S. officials at the Washington Hilton, according to the New York Times.
“Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” Allen’s notes read, the U.S. outlet reported.
“I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done,” he added, in a note reported on separately by NBC News.
In an email, obtained by law enforcement and released by the DOJ, written to his family members and former employer shortly before the alleged assassination attempt, Allen said, “I wish I could have said anything earlier, but doing so would have made none of this possible. My sincerest apologies for all the trouble I’ve caused.”
Allen signed the email “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin Allen,” according to the DOJ.
In a statement published in the DOJ release, Attorney General Todd Blanche said preliminary evidence indicated Allen had acted alone.
Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia added that Allen had allegedly travelled “across the country with deadly weapons and a plan to assassinate the President of the United States.”
“The swift and courageous response of the Secret Service officers prevented unimaginable tragedy. There is no room in this city for political violence,” she continued.
Allen, who was not shot during the ordeal but was taken to hospital for minor injuries, appeared in court Monday to face federal charges after the chaotic encounter Saturday that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being hurried off the stage unharmed, and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables.
Allen was ordered to remain jailed pending additional court hearings and faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone.
— With files from Reuters and The Associated Press
Louise Pang of Holy Duck Chili discusses the important role of congee in Asian culture and traditions.
Spice Jam’s Fish Jook Recipe
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes (or 45 minutes with shortcut)
Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Ingredients
Congee base:
1 cup jasmine rice
8–10 cups light chicken stock (or fish stock)
1 tsp salt
Optional: 1 sheet tofu skin, broken into pieces
Fish:
300 g fresh local white fish (such as B.C. rockfish, lingcod, halibut or sablefish)
1 tbsp neutral oil
6 slices ginger
3 stalks green onion, cut into sections
Pinch of salt
To serve:
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
3 tbsp roasted peanuts
1–2 tbsp Holy Duck Chili Oil (find a jar at these locations)
Optional: white pepper, sesame oil
Method
1. Prepare the congee base
Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Let sit for 15–20 minutes, then lightly crush a small handful of grains to help release starch.
In a large pot, combine rice, water, salt, and optional dried scallop and tofu skin. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 60–90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the congee becomes smooth and creamy.
Tip: Freezing rinsed rice overnight helps it break down faster, a Cantonese technique that shortens cooking time.
2. Sear the fish
Slice fish into thin pieces or small steaks and pat dry. Lightly season with salt.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ginger and green onion and cook until fragrant. Add the fish and sear briefly on both sides until lightly golden.
3. Combine and simmer
Pour the hot congee into the pan with the fish. Simmer gently for 5–8 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and the flavours are fully incorporated. Season to taste.
4. Finish and serve
Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and roasted peanuts. Finish each bowl with a spoonful of Holy Duck Chili Oil, letting the warmth of the congee melt the duck fat and carry its aromatics through the dish.
A Winnipeg teen is accused of killing and injuring geese with his car, police say.
Global News
A Winnipeg teen was arrested for animal cruelty after injuring or killing Canada geese with his car, according to police.
On Saturday, the 17-year-old boy allegedly struck six birds while driving in the city, the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) said in a news release.
Police said it began just before 10 p.m. on Saturday in the West Fort Garry Industrial area, where the teen allegedly ran over and injured a sleeping goose in a parking lot on Henlow Bay. Minutes later, police say the accused drove to a different parking lot on the same street and hit two more.
“Two sleeping geese were driven over and killed,” the statement from police says.
Roughly 20 minutes later, two geese were chased from their nest, then run over and killed in the 550 block of Sterling Lyon Parkway, police said.
The teen was arrested on Monday and is facing five counts of killing or injuring animals.
Police identified the suspect through a white Subaru SUV seen at both scenes. He was released on the condition he would appear at a later date, police said.
Manitoba Conservation has been notified of the ongoing investigation into the case as it involves a protected species, WPS said.
WATCH: Ontario education minister lays out education reform and possible social media ban
Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra says he is looking at a social media ban in schools and would like to go further than what Manitoba has planned.
Calandra says the province will be working closely with the federal government on a social media ban for kids under a certain age.
He also says he is considering implementing an “outright ban” of cellphones on school properties, with some medical exemptions.
At a press conference today in southwest Ontario, Calandra said most ministers of education across the country are in agreement that it has not been beneficial to allow students to have access to phones and social media in school.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s government recently announced that it plans to ban children from using social media accounts and artificial intelligence chatbots, starting in classrooms.
Federal Culture Minister Marc Miller has said the government is seriously considering a law enforcing age limits on social media use, as Australia has done.
EDMONTON – Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch says captain Connor McDavid is a game-time decision and that Connor Ingram will return to the net for Game 5 of a first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks.
Edmonton trails three games to one in the best-of-seven series.
McDavid didn’t participate in Tuesday’s morning skate. The NHL’s regular-season points leader has looked uncomfortable at times on the ice since rolling his ankle in the second period of Game 2.
But McDavid scored his first goal of the series and posted back-to-back multi-point games in Games 3 and 4 in Anaheim. He did not participate in the Oilers off-day skate Saturday.
Ingram started the first three games of the series for a 1-2 record. He gave up 14 goals in those games behind a leaky Edmonton defence.
Knoblauch says centre Jason Dickinson is also a game-time decision. He missed Games 2 and 3 of the series with an injury and has two goals and an assist in two games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026.
In a press release, Grande described the upcoming album as “Something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging.”
The We Can’t Be Friends singer has been teasing her return to music following years of work on the films Wicked and Wicked: For Good.
Earlier this month, Grande shared numerous photos from the studio on Instagram.
The announcement of her new album comes as the Grammy-winning singer is set to head out on her summer tour, beginning on June 6.
The Eternal Sunshine tour will kick off in Oakland, Calif., marking her first tour in seven years. The tour features two Canadian dates in Montreal on July 28 and 30 at the Bell Centre.
In November 2025, Grande told Interview magazine that she was “taking baby steps towards healing my relationship to music and touring.”
“I think my time with Glinda and with acting really helped me build the strength to be able to do that … I think it just held some traumas for me before, and I feel those dissipating, and that is such an extraordinarily beautiful thing,” she told the outlet.
“I do know that I’m very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time,” Grande said of her upcoming tour. “It’s going to be beautiful and I’m so grateful that — I think that’s why I’m doing it, because I’m like, ‘One last hurrah.’ For now.”
Grande is also set to appear on the big screen in the upcoming film Focker-In-Law, the fourth film in the Fockers film series, starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. She plays Olivia Jones, a former FBI hostage negotiator and the girlfriend of Henry Focker.
The film is scheduled to be released later this year on Nov. 25.
The British Parliament has passed a bill proposing the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world. Children born after Dec. 31, 2008, will be banned from ever buying cigarettes, even as adults. As Touria Izri reports, opinions surrounding the ban are mixed.
Health Minister Marjorie Michel said Wednesday that she is “looking into” the idea of banning future Canadian generations from purchasing cigarettes and toughening other tobacco product restrictions after such a law was passed in the United Kingdom.
“I’m looking into it right now,” Michel told reporters when asked if Canada might follow suit after leaving the Liberal cabinet meeting in Ottawa. “We saw what the U.K. did, but I’m looking into it with all partners for now.”
Justice Minister Sean Fraser said he is not part of any discussions that may be taking place when asked by reporters.
“I have not discussed that explicitly with Minister Michel,” he said.
“She’s my seatmate in the House, so I suspect we’re going to have a chat today,” he added. “I’ve got a personal opinion on it but I have not been engaged formally in the policy development process.”
Fraser said he supported “doing anything we can to reduce the consumption of tobacco products amongst young people,” and that preventing people from smoking at a young age would “reduce the social harm across Canada from tobacco.”
A spokesperson for Health Canada said in an emailed statement to Global News last week that “the government of Canada is committed to reducing tobacco use in Canada to less than five percent by 2035, a goal recognized internationally as a critical milestone for a smoke-free future.”
“The government of Canada works collaboratively with partners and key stakeholders to protect Canadians, especially youth, from the harms of smoking using the best available data and evidence,” the spokesperson said.
Sarah Butson, CEO of the Canadian Lung Association, told Global News she supported “bold measures” that are taken alongside educating youth about the dangers of smoking.
In addition to the cigarette sales ban, it also tightens rules around vaping and other nicotine products, particularly around marketing and display, and further limits where people can use vapes — particularly around children.
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