[3.44s -> 9.84s] Tonight protests across Canada as the federal carbon tax goes up. [9.84s -> 22.43s] People can't afford to eat. They can't pay. It ain't just on tax, on gas, it's on everything. From prices to rebates, what's changed, why? And a new call now for an emergency meeting. [22.43s -> 28.62s] Gaza's largest hospital now in ruins after a weeks-long Israeli raid. [29.65s -> 44.62s] And what do years in the ring do to a brain? I'm scared they're going to find a brain tumor or they're going to find a bleed. Inside the groundbreaking study as a Canadian boxer tries to figure out if it's time to quit before it's too late. [46.13s -> 52.82s] From CBC News, this is The National, with Chief Correspondent Adrian Arsenault. [52.91s -> 67.50s] Thanks for joining us. There is no denying the anger of some Canadians to the latest hike in the federal carbon tax. Still, in much of the country, that hike is now in effect, along with a bigger rebate meant to offset the costs. [67.50s -> 75.97s] SPARK PROTESTS RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. FRUSTRATION ON FULL DISPLAY AFTER WEEKS OF CALLS FOR THE LIBERALS TO CANCEL THE INCREASE. [75.97s -> 89.90s] Newfoundland and Labrador's premier is now calling for an emergency meeting among leaders. Nicolas again with the Prime Minister's response and the worries pushing many to the protest lines. The price of everything is going up. [89.90s -> 91.78s] Everything on a truck. [91.78s -> 106.19s] Everything is going up. For some Canadians struggling with the high cost of living, the federal carbon tax feels like another hit. People can't afford to eat. They can't pay. It ain't just on tax on gas. [106.19s -> 120.75s] on everything. More than a dozen protests against the tax took place all across the country including on busy highways on the day the carbon tax and the carbon rebates increased in most provinces. [120.75s -> 122.30s] Watch the taxes! [122.30s -> 136.62s] The Northwest Territories, B.C. and Quebec are all exempt. But everywhere else, it means the average household could spend an extra $65 a year on natural gas and an extra 3.3 cents per liter on gasoline. [136.62s -> 145.78s] We are not seeing any increase in our salaries or our pay. So when this happens, it really does affect a lot of us. [145.78s -> 158.42s] But the federal government is also increasing the carbon rebate residents will receive to offset the tax. Depending on where they live, families of four will get between $200 and $400 four times a year. [158.42s -> 162.27s] About 80% of Canadians are going to get back more than they pay. [162.27s -> 176.62s] But the premiers of seven provinces without their own carbon reduction plans are pushing back. Newfoundland and Labrador's Andrew Furey is now asking the Prime Minister for an emergency meeting of leaders to discuss alternatives to the tax. [176.62s -> 190.94s] SEEING DETAILED PLANS FROM THE PREMIERS ON THIS. THEY'D MUCH RATHER TRY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT AND MAKE POLITICAL HAY OUT OF THIS. ALSO LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST THE CARBON PRICING POLICY, THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. [190.94s -> 201.44s] This is not just a tax at the pump. It's a tax on your heat. A tax on your food. It is a tax that will cost the majority of families. [201.44s -> 210.13s] in every single province more than they get back. The message for many protesters is clear. They're worried about the future. [210.13s -> 222.96s] Andrew Fury is calling for a collaborative approach to find solutions. The Prime Minister has not said whether he'll answer his call for an emergency meeting. Nicola Sagan, CBC News, Halifax. [223.06s -> 237.65s] Now, the carbon tax isn't the only thing going up. The salaries of parliamentarians are two by just over 4%. So that means the prime minister will now make over $406,000 a year. Opposition leader Pierre Polyev and... [237.65s -> 246.26s] Cabinet ministers will take home just under $300,000. And backbench MPs will now earn $203,000. [246.58s -> 260.82s] The Prime Minister is promising there will be $1 billion in the upcoming federal budget to create a national school food program to feed kids. Money that could go to provinces and territories in time for the next school year. [260.82s -> 270.37s] But as Olivia Stefanovic shows us that target might be hard to meet. [270.37s -> 284.14s] Even at the playground the cost of groceries is on Celeste Laroque's mind. I do have anxieties over it because some days I wonder how am I putting food on our table already right now. A question many parents are asking. [284.14s -> 296.48s] and one the prime minister says his government will address. When kids eat better they do better in school. Justin Trudeau is promising a national school food program. [296.48s -> 308.05s] to help the nearly one in four Canadian children who don't have enough to eat. We're putting a billion dollars forward to be sent out to provinces and territories to add. [308.05s -> 316.62s] 400,000 more kids across the country who will have fuller bellies in class. Our focus now is making sure the federal government steps up. [316.62s -> 328.59s] The school food program isn't part of the NDP's agreement to support the Liberals but it is something you Democrats advocated for. We are the only G7 nation in the world. [328.59s -> 338.90s] that doesn't have a national food program in schools. The Conservatives meanwhile recently voted against a private member's bill to create such a program. [338.90s -> 349.65s] And when asked if he supports this plan, opposition leader Pierre Poliev didn't say. I find it ironic that he is promising a federal... [350.45s -> 363.22s] Food bureaucracy in Ottawa the same day as he raises taxes on food His carbon tax on the truck the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who ships the food [363.22s -> 368.88s] is a tax on the single mom who can't afford to buy the food. [370.80s -> 383.52s] But some families say the program could make a difference. This is a great hopefully nudge in the right direction of helping families. It seems like a pretty sensible response to... [383.52s -> 391.82s] the trouble that a lot of families are having making ends meet. Olivia, what more can you tell us about exactly how this program is going to work? [391.82s -> 406.42s] Well, this program will be part of the federal budget later this month. The commitment includes $1 billion over five years, and the federal government is hoping to get this money flowing to the provinces and territories for the start of the next school year. [406.42s -> 416.85s] But they'll need to negotiate and coordinate all of this with those governments. So this could take more time than the federal government would like. I bet. All right, Olivia Stefanovich in Ottawa. [417.46s -> 426.99s] Now to some breaking news from Gaza tonight where Hamas officials say an Israeli airstrike killed four international aid workers and a Palestinian driver. [426.99s -> 435.47s] The bodies were taken to a hospital in central Gaza where staff showed the British, Australian and Polish passports of three of the dead. [435.47s -> 449.65s] They were with the World Central Kitchen. The charity had arrived with a shipment of aid by sea earlier today. That sea corridor approved and monitored by Israeli authorities. Israel's military says it is investigating the incident. [449.97s -> 464.06s] And that incident comes just hours after the world's first full glimpse of Gaza's largest hospital now in ruins. Israeli troops have withdrawn claiming a big victory against Hamas after a two-week battle. [464.06s -> 471.31s] But as Katie Simpson shows us, little remains tonight of the critical medical facility. [471.31s -> 480.83s] By most accounts when you walk around what's left of the al-Shifa hospital complex there is an overwhelming stench of bodies and death. [480.83s -> 493.22s] Al-Shifa was the largest medical facility in Gaza, most of it now rendered unusable. Satellite images show what the area looked like before, and this is what it looks like now. [493.22s -> 507.86s] after Israeli forces raided the complex for two weeks in search of Hamas militants. Witnesses say they saw patients die from a lack of medical care. [507.86s -> 519.66s] Every day was miserable, says this man who says he was a patient at the hospital. There was no food and there was no treatment. He says the lack of medicine made his pain seem a million times worse. [519.66s -> 530.58s] While this man who also says he's a patient says he was dragged by Israeli forces and kicked as he was questioned about what he did for work. [530.86s -> 545.50s] Israeli officials say hundreds of militants were either detained or killed in the operation that is being described as a major success. And the subsequent special forces operation to clear the hospital of terrorists will be studied [545.50s -> 558.21s] as the gold standard for urban warfare. Israel is pushing ahead with its military operations in Gaza and is now being accused of escalating tensions with Iran. [558.21s -> 572.59s] An airstrike on an Iranian government building in Syria killed several high-ranking Iranian military leaders including multiple generals. Iran blames Israel. Such crimes will not remain without a response. [572.59s -> 582.99s] Iran's ambassador to Syria through a translator. Growing tensions abroad come as Israeli leaders face intensifying pressure at home. [582.99s -> 591.92s] Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in Jerusalem for a second night. This government is doing horrendous things in Gaza. [591.92s -> 604.43s] not in our name and we want the government to take responsibility and resign. Israel's prime minister has largely dismissed these calls and is backing a plan that will silence dissent. [604.43s -> 618.74s] Lawmakers passed a bill to temporarily shut down Al Jazeera's TV broadcasts in Israel, which have been critical of the war, though they say it's a Hamas-supporting security threat. Washington is waiting for confirmation, but is alarmed. [618.74s -> 628.93s] A move like this is concerning. We believe in the freedom of the press. It is critical. And Katie, I gather senior officials in Washington met virtually with their Israeli counterparts today. [628.93s -> 643.44s] Yeah, we understand the U.S. expressed concern about Israel's plan to target Hamas militants in Rafah where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been seeking shelter. Israel says it will take American concerns into account. [643.44s -> 657.34s] as it develops its plan. The U.S. sends billions of dollars worth of military aid to Israel and despite its specific concerns about its military operations it does not appear that any of that U.S. support is in question at this time. [657.34s -> 660.94s] Adrienne. All right, Katie Simpson reporting in Washington. Thank you. [661.33s -> 675.66s] In Baltimore, a new temporary channel is now open to be used by vessels that are helping clean up after the bridge collapsed there. We cannot rebuild the bridge until we clear the wreckage. [676.05s -> 688.30s] But I'm telling you, we are going to get this done. It is just one step in what will be a long process until the main channel is open, traffic in and out of the port. [688.30s -> 696.98s] IS THAT A STANDSTILL? THAT IS DEFINITELY AFFECTING BUSINESSES. SO THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IS ORGANIZING LOANS TO HELP OUT. [696.98s -> 706.26s] The bridge went down a week ago after a cargo ship lost power and ran into it. President Joe Biden is expected to see that damage firsthand in a visit on Friday. [707.41s -> 722.00s] And you are looking at FBI headquarters in Atlanta earlier today. After this car rammed the front gate, police say the driver is in custody. The U.S. Attorney's Office is looking into laying charges, but officials otherwise provided very little. [722.00s -> 723.25s] information. [723.63s -> 737.78s] The Canadian government says it is ramping up efforts to get more Canadians and their families out of Haiti. Starting Wednesday, Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members will be eligible for an airlift. [737.78s -> 747.62s] Last week Canada started airlifting people with a valid Canadian passport. Since then more than 150 were taken from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. [747.62s -> 753.68s] It's been three weeks since Haiti's Prime Minister resigned after gangs seized control of the capital. [754.32s -> 768.91s] Russia is rejecting allegations it is to blame for a mysterious illness reported by dozens of American and Canadian officials. As Ilhamusa tells us, that denial comes after a new international investigation into what's been going on. [768.91s -> 771.41s] called the Havana syndrome. [771.79s -> 783.97s] A new twist in a years-long mystery believed to have started in Havana. What is behind an unexplained illness affecting U.S. diplomats? It was like a dentist. [783.97s -> 792.66s] drilling on steroids, that feeling when it gets too close to your eardrum, it's like that times 10. [792.66s -> 806.94s] Now, an international joint investigation that aired on 60 Minutes alleges they may have been targeted by a secretive Russian intelligence unit. It's next-generation weaponry, and unfortunately, it's... [806.94s -> 821.36s] been refined on some of us and who are the test subjects. The first case of so-called Havana syndrome was believed to have happened in that city in 2016, although this new report suggests there were instances in Germany two years earlier. [821.36s -> 832.56s] The injured describe experiencing dizziness, headaches and vision problems. And they include White House staff, CIA officers, FBI agents, military officers and their families. [832.56s -> 842.70s] Consistently, there was a Russia nexus. There was some angle where they had worked against Russia, focused on Russia, and done extremely well. [842.70s -> 856.11s] More than a dozen Canadian diplomats and their family members have also reported experiencing similar symptoms after placements in Cuba and some are now suing the federal government. These diplomats are serving Canada in... [856.11s -> 865.46s] some of the most dangerous places in the world. And if we're not going to step up and protect them and protect them substantially, I don't know who would go into the diplomatic corps. [865.62s -> 878.51s] Last year U.S. intelligence officials said it's very unlikely a foreign adversary is responsible. The White House maintains that it supports that finding. We trust our intelligence community, right? [878.51s -> 887.57s] The Kremlin has dismissed the report, calling the allegation nothing but unfounded accusations. Ivel Moussa, CBC News, Toronto. [888.05s -> 895.12s] Nunavut is celebrating a milestone anniversary 25 years since it officially became a territory. [898.70s -> 912.93s] The occasion is being marked tonight by a community celebration including lots of music and food and by a visit from Governor General Mary Simon. On April 1st, 1999 Nunavut separated from the Northwest Territories. [912.93s -> 927.06s] ushering in a new era after years of negotiations. Rising competition and changing demographics are forcing fast food businesses to work even harder to come up with the next big menu item. [927.06s -> 936.88s] That wave of innovation is flooding back into the market right now. We take you inside the test kitchen of a major fast food chain next. [937.04s -> 944.46s] Plus, from inside the ring to inside the brain of a Canadian boxer. I'm hoping that they're... [944.75s -> 952.82s] Has it been a decline? Katie Nicholson brings us rare access to a study looking for the early signs of damage. [952.98s -> 965.20s] And later, cherry blossoms light up the night in full colour. It really feels like you're stepping into this completely different world. A Vancouver park illuminates and inspires. We're back in two. [971.79s -> 985.84s] An Ontario man has now been recognized as the world's oldest kidney transplant recipient. Walter Toro is 88. Guinness World Records certificate. [986.29s -> 990.96s] The older kidney transplant recipient [990.96s -> 1005.02s] Before getting the award he says he didn't even know what the Guinness Book of World Records was. A nurse with the hospital's transplant unit says that when approving recipients they take into account a patient's overall health, not simply their age. [1005.02s -> 1007.92s] and Toro passed his test seamlessly. [1008.62s -> 1021.10s] The big fast food chains are constantly testing out new dishes to keep customers coming back. Paula Duhacek takes us inside one test kitchen where chefs are trying out something a little different. [1022.32s -> 1029.81s] Everything that ends up on the A&W menu starts right here. The toasted bun, we have our piri piri aioli. [1029.81s -> 1042.29s] This kitchen, a battlefield in the fast food wars. Companies duking it out to come up with the next viral sensation. The next Crunchwrap Supreme, Grimace milkshake or pumpkin spice latte. [1042.29s -> 1056.69s] How important is it to have these new menu items to hang on to your existing customers and to find new ones? I would say extremely important. If you look at our journey between 1956 and Winnipeg to today, the menu doesn't look the same. [1056.69s -> 1067.73s] We are all fighting for that same guest. And the new, exciting menu items help them to come to the top of mind for, you know what, like, you know, he's doing that new burger. I want to go and try it. [1067.76s -> 1078.74s] At A&W, the latest creation is a Piri Piri burger. It starts with a bun, a new spicy sauce. Instead of a beef patty, adds a hash brown. It's based on a menu hack. [1078.74s -> 1091.04s] COOKED UP BY SOUTH ASIAN CANADIANS. I'M FROM INDIA AND THERE'S A BIG, BIG POPULATION OF VEGETARIAN FOLKS THERE. SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS ARE A KEY PART OF WHY RESTAURANTS MIX UP THEIR MENUS IN THE FIRST PLACE. [1091.04s -> 1105.55s] customers are changing so are their palates and these days burger chains aren't just competing with other burger chains. It's the smaller operators and even some of the independents who are growing and they tend to serve more globally inspired. [1105.55s -> 1119.79s] cuisine now with the economic situation. So if the brands want to grow, they're going to have to steal customers. Next up from a very different part of the world, this is a Moroccan hot pepper ale. [1119.79s -> 1134.32s] It takes anywhere from a few weeks to several years to come up with a new menu item. The final product has to taste good and come out the same way every time. There's just a difference between the way I can whisk up a sauce and a... [1134.32s -> 1141.49s] a gigantic machine that's making literally hundreds and hundreds and thousands of liters of this. It needs to work in those very, very tough kitchen environments. [1141.49s -> 1155.39s] Time-consuming work but experts say there's more of it happening. Many test kitchens closed during the pandemic and restaurants trimmed their menus to save money. But these days... That wave of innovation is flooding back into the market right now. [1155.39s -> 1170.13s] So it's certainly busier now than it has been in five years. For its part, A&W has more than 70 new products in the works, though only a few will make their way to an actual menu. Paula Duhacek, CBC News, Vancouver. [1170.74s -> 1180.94s] Scientists are using new techniques to get vital information about whales and other marine life off the coast of BC. Essentially it's like CSI. CSI. [1180.94s -> 1188.85s] IN THE OCEAN. HOW IT PROMISES TO TRACK CREATURES WITHOUT HARMING THEM. [1188.85s -> 1203.18s] and a study looking for early signs of devastating head trauma. When people are actively exposed to head impacts, it is changing the brain. How a Canadian boxer's brain is holding up and how the research could help others. [1203.18s -> 1215.86s] And viewing the upcoming solar eclipse without damaging your eyes. It can tend to override people's natural safety inclination. What you need to know to stay safe. [1215.86s -> 1219.86s] The National breaks down the stories shaping our world, next. [1224.40s -> 1238.99s] The race to save an orphaned orca off of Vancouver Island is becoming more and more urgent. It's not clear whether the calf has eaten anything since the death of its mother nine days ago. As Belle Puri shows us, some rescuers are turning to... [1238.99s -> 1245.38s] tech to try to help. The young whale circles and circles again. [1245.38s -> 1257.12s] It's been more than a week since its mother died in this lagoon and the calf can't seem to escape. Well it is nature but the community is really affected by it spiritually I think. [1257.12s -> 1270.86s] The Ahasuit First Nation has named the orca Quisahayas or brave little hunter. Despite the name and seals in the area the calf hasn't been seen hunting. It's not clear if it's eating at all. [1270.86s -> 1283.28s] Rescuers have tried everything from Indigenous drumbeats to recorded whale calls to lure the orca to open water and to its pod mates. That's really important that we're monitoring. [1283.28s -> 1289.57s] not only the calf but also it's it's the calf's pod and the sub pods that are family relations [1289.57s -> 1303.92s] A BC-based whale research group says its artificial intelligence technology is already helping to find those relatives. It's been asking people to submit photos of orcas they see in the area and using AI to match those photos. [1303.92s -> 1308.18s] to an existing database of orcas. [1308.18s -> 1319.20s] made this technology available to operators working off the west coast of Vancouver Island yesterday, we immediately received a data submission from a new user of [1319.20s -> 1333.52s] Kawisa Hayes' extended family, including her grandmother, her aunts and uncles. A whale watching tour operator took these pictures and put them into the system and flagged to rescuers the direction the whales were traveling. I was able to... [1333.52s -> 1347.76s] pass on my information to whale watchers in Tofino today as they were kind of headed that direction. Hopefully they were going to try and get some acoustics or some of the noises that the pod is making that could possibly assist with getting the calf out of the lagoon. [1347.76s -> 1361.42s] To do that, to get out of the lagoon, the calf will have to swim over a sandbar and under a causeway. The tides are expected to be more favorable this week. Belle Puri, CBC News, Vancouver. [1361.58s -> 1376.37s] Now on the other side of Vancouver Island, scientists are using emerging research to learn more about killer whales. It's less invasive and it relies on DNA collected through seawater. Georgie Smyth shows us how it works. [1377.10s -> 1387.86s] There's so much life passing through these waters and as scientists are finding out, even more to learn from what is left behind. Got it? OK. [1388.40s -> 1401.17s] That jug of seawater contains environmental DNA, or eDNA, scooped up behind a diving whale. And essentially it's like CSI, pardon the pun, but CSI. [1401.17s -> 1411.02s] in the ocean. Through that collection of water we can extract skin cells, fecal matter, and extract the DNA from that, never actually touching the animal, which we're really excited about. [1411.02s -> 1419.68s] The sample is filtered on the boat and later sent for genetic testing. It's the first time eDNA has been used to study whales here. [1419.68s -> 1431.01s] We know that we can sex individual whales. We can look at things like the amount of genetic diversity, how populations of whales are related. We can also potentially look at paternity. [1431.01s -> 1445.39s] Scientists know some of BC's killer whales are already under stress from lack of food, ship traffic and climate change. Traditional research would also call for a sample of tissue from the whale. This approach avoids that. [1445.39s -> 1451.68s] hope is that we cease all need to do biopsy work. I would love to see [1451.68s -> 1465.97s] that we totally switch all of our methods of collecting DNA to be in these non-invasive eDNA samples which will help the populations reduce disturbance. This kind of whale research is still new and part of the work is figuring out [1465.97s -> 1479.63s] how to improve the science, standardizing how much seawater to scoop and when to make it more precise. Knowing that what we're doing can eventually lead to better conservation efforts for the species. [1479.63s -> 1492.32s] whatever we can do to give back to them brings myself a lot of gratification and really makes me love the work that we're doing knowing that it can be used to make positive impact for these animals. [1492.32s -> 1506.80s] Work that is bridging the knowledge gap without getting too close. Georgie Smyth, CBC News, Hornby Island. Now it's time to go deeper into the story shaping our world. This is The Breakdown. [1508.34s -> 1519.55s] How to catch that epic eclipse without risking your eyesight. So do not use regular sunglasses. But first, a boxer's fearful dilemma. [1519.55s -> 1527.63s] Claire Hafner takes part in groundbreaking research to detect when her brain might be on the brink of serious damage. [1528.21s -> 1538.67s] These tests could knock her out as a top contender. In part, this story breaks down how the brains of female athletes haven't been studied that much. [1538.67s -> 1548.56s] Katie Nicholson got extraordinary access as Hafner went for her annual medical check-in, then anxiously awaited the verdict. [1551.70s -> 1563.47s] Boxing is a sport where you volunteer to be punched in the head. So I think there's less sympathy around head trauma. [1564.94s -> 1575.25s] After years of training, sparring and fights Canadian boxer Claire Hafner is about to find out what kind of a toll being in the ring has taken on her brain health. [1575.66s -> 1583.28s] She's part of a groundbreaking study of 900 living athletes looking at the long-term effects of head trauma. [1588.27s -> 1601.94s] When you get those results, what is that like for you every time? Terrifying. Those tests make me more nervous than getting in the ring for a fight. Why? I'm scared they're going to find a brain tumor or they're going to find... [1601.94s -> 1605.14s] a bleed or something wrong with the actual physical brain. [1608.82s -> 1623.38s] At 46, Claire is one of the top-ranked boxers in the world. When you step into the ring, what's it like for you? Like how does the world change? Hyper-focused. Yeah? A sense of gratitude for having that opportunity. [1624.98s -> 1639.41s] Before she retires she's hoping for a shot at a Canadian title. It'll be hard to hang up the gloves without checking that box. I have to confess that but like I said if it's not in the stars it's not in the stars. [1641.62s -> 1656.18s] She knows every time she meets up with researchers, it could change everything. Is there a little bit of fear too, though, that this could... Be the end? Be the end, yeah. Yeah, I think there's always that fear and then trying to figure out... [1658.45s -> 1660.24s] what the next step is. [1667.02s -> 1679.02s] Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world. It's also home to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Brain Health. Claire has just arrived for her annual day of testing, and we're going with her. [1679.89s -> 1687.79s] Oh, I'm properly nervous. Yeah. What are you hoping for today? I'm hoping that there... [1688.21s -> 1701.30s] Has there been a decline in anything? I'm hoping for a really good, clean brain scan. Today we're doing the verbal memory test. We're doing the finger tapping test, symbol digit coding test. We'll be doing a stroke test. [1701.30s -> 1714.83s] Remind me of the Stroop test. It's the one without the colors? Yes. These are hard, just so you know. Yes, they are. These tests measure for changes in Claire's memory and her reaction times. [1714.96s -> 1720.62s] Two minutes. We're looking for accuracy first and then speed. Okay? [1724.85s -> 1730.13s] Another key indicator they're testing? Her balance. [1736.34s -> 1749.28s] why is it harder with the eyes closed i take away my anchor point what it is is it's your brain telling you that it doesn't trust the situation that it's in this is what people who have like brain trauma actually feel [1749.28s -> 1754.61s] like sometimes not just regularly they can't that's why they have to walk with like a walker [1756.43s -> 1769.14s] Claire's blood is sent to the lab to be analyzed for proteins which could indicate head trauma. We're only taking the serum. There are many of the same proteins associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. [1769.46s -> 1782.48s] Okay, we're ready. We'll head on in. Okay. Claire settles in for a long MRI session to capture her brain from every angle, looking for any sign of possible damage or changes. [1782.90s -> 1791.17s] Where specifically would the area be that you would look for trouble? Yeah, so this kind of area here and that is for short-term memory and stuff. [1791.17s -> 1802.21s] The temporal lobe gets rattled around a lot because it sits in a kind of a bony cubbyhole at the bottom. So as you get hit, it kind of rattles around there. [1802.21s -> 1814.29s] Only about a hundred of the study's participants are women. The bulk of what's known about head injuries is based on men's brains. And as Dr. Charles Burnick and his team review more than a decade of data, [1814.29s -> 1827.73s] they're finding differences between the sexes. If we have two groups that are getting hit and the women are doing better, is there something biological that is protecting them? [1827.73s -> 1840.94s] One of the paradoxes is that it's been said that women are more vulnerable, for example, to concussion and take longer to recover. Yet, again, in our evaluation of long-term effects, it doesn't seem that they're at a higher risk. [1840.94s -> 1852.61s] And as they follow athletes through their retirement, they're making another remarkable discovery. And what we found as a group, people get better. [1852.61s -> 1867.60s] I think it just represents that when people are actively exposed to head impacts, it is changing the brain. And once you stop, there is this opportunity for repair. [1874.22s -> 1885.66s] CONTINUES. CHRISTINE FERIA IS THE WOMEN'S BEAR KNUCKLE BOXING WORLD CHAMPION. SHE SAYS COMBAT SPORTS CHANGED HER LIFE. I TOOK THE ROUGH ROAD AND, YOU KNOW. [1885.66s -> 1898.06s] partying and doing crazy things, so fighting taught me discipline, taught me composure, how to deal with my emotions. [1898.06s -> 1911.18s] The risks of bare-knuckle boxing are high. But participating in the study has given her some comfort. You know when you're young and you're doing this sport. [1911.18s -> 1925.01s] you're not really thinking about the damage inside your brain. So when I started doing this, it made me feel a little bit safer. So each year that I'm going, if I'm not declining, I'm not going to retire. What scares you the most? CTE. [1925.30s -> 1938.34s] I've heard so many horror stories about CTE. If he's like, hey, these are what's happening to your brain, these are going to be the consequences, I can make that decision to quit before that happens. [1938.34s -> 1952.42s] Last summer, the first case of CTE in a female athlete was confirmed in an Aussie rules footballer. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, is a degenerative neurological condition linked to repetitive head trauma. [1952.42s -> 1955.57s] It can only be diagnosed after death. [1956.11s -> 1970.54s] But Burnick's team can look for telltale signs of risk in living athletes with hopes of one day being able to identify people who are developing patterns of CTE before it progresses too far. [1970.74s -> 1981.74s] MRI scans like this are part of the puzzle. This is the brain of a male fighter. Normally there's one membrane that separates the two sides. [1982.00s -> 1995.39s] But with a lot of impacts to the head, that will split. So you can see he has, it's just split apart. So there's two. It's just a marker of exposure to a lot of head impacts. [1995.39s -> 2008.21s] We find it about 50% of males that fight. In a clinic room, Claire anxiously waits for her results. Hello, hello. [2009.65s -> 2022.38s] Yeah, what's the update? How are you doing? I struggle to sleep after a heavy sparring session, even though I'm absolutely... Exhausted. Exhausted. I just, and that's to me is like the little red flag that maybe... [2022.38s -> 2032.02s] I got my bell rung. Yeah. I do want to check you out, but I will share with you kind of how you did. This is stressful. No, no, no, no. No, this is... [2032.56s -> 2040.69s] No, this is good. First, her scores on all those memory, balance and reaction time tests. So we look for two things. [2040.94s -> 2051.89s] One is just the trajectory of things over time, because this is, what, five years now. And you can see, I mean, just in general, it's a straight line. [2051.89s -> 2061.17s] a straight line, and you are superior to most people your age. Then Dr. Burnick pulls up Claire's MRI scans. [2061.17s -> 2074.19s] It's pretty close. I mean, you see a little slit here, you see this, but they're not changed. This is, you know, five years, 2020, no, four years. And if we go higher, just in the substance of the brain... [2074.32s -> 2088.59s] the brain should have this consistency, which yours does. In other words, it doesn't show any scarring. Now, we'll do more precise measurements, but just looking at it doesn't look like there's any... Any concerning change or anything. [2088.69s -> 2093.39s] No changes, but is it time for Claire to call it quits? [2093.74s -> 2104.93s] I guess just of age and like trying to get out before there's a lot of damage, but feeling like I've put so much into it. I still have the brain that's good enough to maybe. [2104.93s -> 2116.72s] go one more one more lap yeah sure or do you throw in the towel when like i i'm just teetering on that decision and it's really hard look if you're asking are you going to do irreparable harm to do one more fight [2116.72s -> 2128.82s] Of course not. I mean, you know, because all this stuff is just cumulative. I just think, you know, if you've achieved what you've wanted to achieve, yeah, it's probably better for your brain not to get hit. You know, if you want to do this... [2128.82s -> 2140.85s] Just one more fight, be careful about it, and then maybe shut it off. Claire's had a few hours to think about her results and her future. [2140.85s -> 2152.66s] Okay, so we're in this town where everybody's always rolling the dice. So after your results today, are you thinking, like, are you going to roll the dice? I've got to take that chance, like that risk. [2153.04s -> 2166.58s] Yeah, I have to say after today, it's a hundred times more tempting than how I thought before coming. Yeah. Because you get good news and it kind of like momentarily... [2166.58s -> 2173.42s] blots out the risks because you're like, oh, I've been risking it all for these years. And hey, it's been good. Like there's nothing. [2173.90s -> 2184.85s] Nothing awful yet, so what's one more time? Also the trap. So you're going to stay in the rig? I want to stay in the rig. [2185.30s -> 2195.25s] Did I just say that? Who said that? I think you said that. I did say that. So you're rolling the dice. Yeah, I think I'm going to roll the dice. What is it, lucky sevens? Yeah. [2196.14s -> 2208.40s] So, Katie, there's no doubt that next fight seems really important to Claire, but is she going to get to do it? Well, the short answer is she hasn't signed the fight papers yet, but she's still in training, and it could be in the cards this year. [2208.40s -> 2212.11s] So I know it's early days yet in terms of the study. [2212.11s -> 2226.45s] But it's interesting when you hear a discussion about potentially a difference between men and women's brains here. What are you learning about that? Right. So, I mean, it's clear there are still very big gaps in what we know when it comes to women and head trauma. [2226.45s -> 2236.94s] But what the study is showing so far is that when it comes to the long-term effects, the women fighters are doing better in all the key indicators that they look for. [2236.94s -> 2251.22s] What's at the sort of root of this resiliency? That is one of the things that this study is trying to figure out. Dr. Burnick has a theory that possibly it's connected to maybe women get fewer hits over time, the quantity of hits. [2251.22s -> 2257.84s] And there could be any number of reasons for that. All right. Well, thank you for staying on this. Katie Nicholson, appreciate it. [2259.70s -> 2272.40s] Coming up, Canadians are about to get a glimpse of what could be a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event. I can see the disc of the sun. I can't see anything else. They're almost like blackout glasses. [2272.40s -> 2277.90s] How to view next week's solar eclipse safely. Expert advice next on The Breakdown. [2287.89s -> 2301.30s] What you should learn before you look at that solar eclipse. It can cause blindness. We have expert tips for watching safely. They're almost like blackout glasses. A really easy one you can do is just by grabbing a shoebox. [2301.39s -> 2306.45s] So here's some advice for you from someone who watches the stars all the time. [2310.51s -> 2322.16s] Please do not look directly at the sun, not even during a partial eclipse. If it's just a little bit of sunlight, it can still really damage your eyes and you can even go blind. [2323.25s -> 2336.82s] Welcome to the Allen I. Carswell Observatory. I'm Dr. Elena Hyde. I'm the director of this wonderful place and right now we are standing inside the 60 centimeter telescope dome, a place where you will definitely not [2336.82s -> 2351.12s] be able to view the upcoming solar eclipse. So up here in the domes today, we have a few different ways that you could safely view the sun. So this is one of the most popular techniques. These are not sunglasses. [2351.12s -> 2365.33s] So do not use regular sunglasses. You need to use glasses with a very special safety rated filter on them. The first thing you want to do is just hold it up to the light and see there's no holes in these. If the sun was... [2365.33s -> 2378.42s] say, in front of me, I would put the glasses on, and only once the glasses were actually on my face, firmly, and now I can't see anything at all. [2378.42s -> 2389.07s] but I could feel where the sun is, so I'll look towards it. And this way, I can see the disc of the sun. I can't see anything else. They're almost like blackout glasses. [2389.07s -> 2403.02s] You might say, what's an even easier way? Well, we're going to go from the most sort of high tech to the lowest tech. All you need are two sheets, and if they're not regular paper, they can be a little sturdier. This will work. What you do is you take... [2403.02s -> 2415.92s] a pin, you just poke a single clean hole and all I have to do with it to make a projection of the sun is to use my top paper to project the sunlight. [2415.92s -> 2424.02s] down onto the bottom paper. Actually anything with a hole that casts a shadow will work. [2424.02s -> 2437.66s] Now there's a little bit more fancy techniques that you can use. A really easy one you can do is just by grabbing a shoebox. Now this shoebox already had a hole in it, and this is the viewing hole. This is where you look inside with your eyeball. [2437.66s -> 2450.88s] This is where the sunlight comes in. So you stand so the sun's behind you. The sunlight that's behind you comes and lands on the back of the shoebox and makes a little image of the sun. When you have an event like a solar eclipse, [2450.88s -> 2465.23s] it can tend to override people's natural safety inclination to not look directly at the sun can really damage your eyes and it can cause blindness so we don't want people to be getting injured trying to [2465.23s -> 2467.44s] this really cool event. [2467.82s -> 2482.51s] And on April the 8th, CBC News will have a full day of special coverage of the total solar eclipse that starts bright and early. Heather Hiscox will be in Niagara Falls hosting Morning Live from 6 to 10 a.m. Eastern on CBC News Network. [2483.06s -> 2493.33s] And we want to tell you about another story to watch for tomorrow on The Breakdown. Susan Ormiston shows us environmental destruction on a devastating scale. Here's a preview. [2493.33s -> 2505.86s] In pockets of northern Brazil, fire is sucking the life out of the rainforest. When Canada burned and everybody can't breathe. What we face in the Amazon every year. [2505.86s -> 2519.46s] and it's exactly or even more. Dolphins dying in abnormally warm water and that vital waterway used by tens of thousands of people sunk too low. We had [2519.46s -> 2531.98s] A massive death of fisheries because how warm the water was. Something I never seen in my life. A devastating combination. Elevated heat. [2531.98s -> 2544.05s] Historic drought and deforestation pushing parts of the Amazon towards a tipping point. We are losing the Amazon rainforest. We cannot wait. [2544.30s -> 2547.28s] You can watch for that Tuesday on The National. [2548.72s -> 2561.65s] Coming up, the cherry blossoms that lit up the night sky in Vancouver. It really feels like you're stepping into this completely different world, this wonderland. The dreamlike display next in our moment. [2568.30s -> 2577.02s] Wow, look how beautiful that is. That is David Lamb Park in Vancouver. And over the weekend, it was transformed into a spellbinding oasis. [2577.02s -> 2591.54s] Blossoms after dark transported visitors into an enchanted garden aglow with beaming blossoms. Those who experienced it said it was like entering a different world. The cherry blossoms that lit up the night sky make our moment. [2596.24s -> 2600.91s] It really feels like you're stepping into this completely different world, this wonderland. [2602.38s -> 2616.16s] Cherry blossoms everywhere and all of them are illuminated with all these crazy cool lights The light installations were so beautiful. We always go to the parks and streets to have a look at [2616.16s -> 2624.50s] the cherry blossoms, but this was a completely different experience. It was after dark, everything was illuminated, there was the music in the background. [2625.90s -> 2633.52s] Lights around the cherry blossoms, the flowers and trees. So many lanterns over there. [2633.52s -> 2641.01s] You're just walking through this, between all of these cherry blossoms, and in the background you hear a soundtrack. [2641.58s -> 2652.78s] It was truly magical. I guess if it was during the daytime, maybe it wouldn't have been that amazing. I feel like all of us were in that kind of alien world experiencing the same thing. [2653.55s -> 2667.31s] And so Andrew, who spoke with our producer Maria, said that he went for a walk there because he had a bit of writer's block. He's a songwriter and nothing was coming. But after being there, he said he just sort of felt all sorts of inspiration and the phrases are coming. [2667.31s -> 2678.22s] For all of us here at The National, thank you for being with us. You can watch anywhere, anytime on the free CBC News app and subscribe to The National's YouTube channel. I'm Adrienne Arsenault. Take care.