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Welcome to your Weekend Posted. We hope you’re as excited about Monday’s total solar eclipse as we are. Still, in a sign of just how thoroughly The Simpsons have permeated North American culture, we can’t stop thinking about Mr. Burns complaining about the sun providing free energy and concocting a plan to block it out. “Perpetual twilight,” Burns muses, after completing his fiendish plan. Anyhow, this blocking of the sun won’t be perpetual. See below for everything you need to know!
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Netta Epstein and Irene Shavit were supposed to get married on April 24. But, six months ago, Epstein was killed in the October 7 terrorist attack, when Hamas breached the border wall between Israel and Gaza. More than 1,200 people were killed. In Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Epstein and Shavit had retreated to the safe room in their home. But Hamas fighters threw in a grenade. Epstein, who had recently been released from the Israel Defense Forces, dove on the grenade. He saved Shavit, who hid behind his body for hours. The attack rocked the world, and sparked a months-long war. Read more from Karin Kloosterman about Netta Epstein and how his family is recovering following the brutal violence of October 7.
MOON TO BLOCK SUN ON MONDAY
There will be a total eclipse of the sun on Monday. Specifically, that means the moon will pass right in front of the sun, blotting out its light over North America for up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds starting around 1 p.m. ET. There are several ideal spots to watch the eclipse from, but if you can’t make it to one of them, or are somehow stuck in a basement all day, you’ll still be able to watch the National Post livestream as the eclipse cuts a diagonal swathe across North America from the southwestern United States to the northeast across Canada. Often, total solar eclipses happen in remote locations. But this time, 44 million people live directly under the eclipse’s path, meaning that this will be the largest audience, ever, for a solar eclipse in North America. The response for some has been closing schools, declaring a state of emergency, and issuing alerts to stay indoors, not to go to work, and close all the curtains, Adrian Humphreys reports. This lurch to grasp the seemingly safest possible course — perhaps not unexpected these days — comes at a cost and is at odds with other efforts pumping up the excitement and opportunity of a rare phenomenon. If you do take a look … just don’t do what Donald Trump did. Watch our video with everything you need to know about the eclipse, from how to watch it safely to the best locations to get a look at this unusual solar event.
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DEAR DIARY
In the weekly satirical feature Dear Diary, the National Post re-imagines a week in the life of a newsmaker. This week, Tristin Hopper takes an imagined journey into the mind of British Columbia’s harm-reduction strategy: It is proper that children be brought within the presence of drug use from an early age. B.C. has also pioneered programs to instruct high schoolers on the proper use of Narcan, but with time we will soon see children as young as five who are well-versed on sharp disposal.
ET CETERA
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- You may have noticed, if you’re a consumer of fancy coffees, that if you order non-dairy milk, you’re paying a premium. There are all sorts of options, such as oat milk, soy milk and almond milk. But they’re going to cost you, compared to the stuff from a cow. Now, three California women have taken Starbucks to court over its non-dairy surcharge. Read more about why they say Starbucks is discriminating against those with lactose intolerance and milk allergies.
- There’s a strain of avian influenza that’s been circulating for about 20 years. It’s deadly to birds, and has infected millions of poultry across Canada. But, around the world, it has also infected 888 humans and killed 463. Recent news from the United States shows that it has also infected cattle. The risks are obvious: it’s a deadly virus and could end up spreading more easily among mammals. Read more about avian influenza and the risks it poses to food supply and human health.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has a plan to build more housing. And believe it or not, it involves 3D printing to build prefabricated homes. It’s not just about 3D printing, though. The $600-million plan includes low-cost loans to builders and various prefabrication processes to get more homes built faster. Read more about Trudeau’s announcement in his latest pre-budget pitch to millennial and Gen Z voters.
SNAPSHOT
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