Culture and Arts

White House officials emphasized that the rollout of boosters was pending review of evidence by officials at the Food and Drug Administration as well as the advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rollout would begin the week of Sept. 20. U.S. residents 18 and older who received the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines would be eligible for a third shot eight months after their second dose. The timing would mean that health care workers, long-term care residents and older residents would be first in line for boosters. more »

This installation is a celebration of Indonesia's coral reefs, while also pinpointing the human-caused damage that infects the vibrant systems. “Corals, anemones, sponges and other reef-dwelling invertebrates coalesce into a cyclone-like spiral with colorful healthy corals at the eye of the storm, their tentacles and branches dancing in the current,” explains Courtney Mattison. “Toward the edges and tail of the swirling constellation, corals sicken and bleach, exposing their sterile white skeletons — a specter of what could be lost from climate change. Yet at its heart the reef remains healthy, resilient and harmonious.” more »

To capture data and insights on how to maintain healthy lives as we age, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced an investment of $61.5 million from the Government of Canada for the next phase of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The CLSA is the largest and longest study of its kind in Canada, and includes over 50,000 Canadians between the ages of 45 and 85 whose health will be tracked for at least 20 years. more »

Ferida Wolff writes: I wondered where it came from. Did it escape from a cage in someone’s house? Was it a wild variation that flew in from somewhere else? I thought that I might offer it some food and shelter in case it was a loose house bird and unused to being outside but as soon as I took a tiny step forward, it yelled at me in bird talk and flew off. I watched for it later that afternoon and the next day, hoping that if it had been a needy house bird it would find its way back for shelter. But I didn’t see it again. I kept seeing what I thought was a dead tree on my walks through my community. The trunk and upper branches were severely cut and mostly bare. I wondered how long it would be before it would have to come done. I hope that it continues to flourish and show the world its power and beauty. And I wish the same for the rest of us, too. more »