Canada reverses course on expanding assisted suicide to people suffering solely from mental illness. The federal government has announced plans to indefinitely block the March 2027 expansion, citing inadequate mental health care and uncertainty over whether psychiatric conditions are incurable.

A 16-year-old BC student is refusing to back down after being suspended for criticizing his school’s Truth and Reconciliation programming. Grade 11 student Isaac Simpson posted a video of a school-wide presentation, along with his own commentary, questioning why it featured Black Lives Matter, discussions of “Land Back,” and Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual) issues. School administrators told him he cannot return to class unless he deletes his original video. His response? “I’m not taking it down.”

Leading climate modellers finally acknowledge that a worst-case global-warming scenario has become implausible. In a peer-reviewed study (van Vuuren et al.) published by the European Geosciences Union, more than 40 researchers acknowledged that the extreme high-emissions scenario SSP5-8.5 has become “implausible.” For years, this scenario helped fuel catastrophic-warming warnings and was sometimes presented as business as usual—despite increasingly unrealistic assumptions.

A new US federal clinic will investigate reported vaccine injuries and study potential treatments. On October 5, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled the new National Institutes of Health clinic in Bethesda, Maryland, where researchers will investigate serious health problems reported after vaccination, explore potential causes, and study treatments. The administration also announced plans to compensate doctors for reporting suspected vaccine injuries and overhaul the federal adverse-event reporting system.

An Ontario bylaw that allows fines of up to $5,000 for offensive speech is being challenged in court. Passed in 2023, Waterloo Region’s bylaw allows officials to fine or remove people from regional property for comments considered offensive or humiliating when directed at someone because of their race, religion, gender, or another protected personal characteristic. The Canadian Constitution Foundation has challenged the bylaw in court, arguing that it violates Canadians’ constitutional right to freedom of expression.

In a system full of career politicians desperate for power, a Kelowna man’s brutal honesty became his winning strategy. Brady Rogers, 33, of Kelowna, BC, ran a hilariously unconventional campaign with signs reading “How hard could it be?”, “I barely want to do this,” and “Fine, I’ll do it.” His campaign website declared: “Do I enjoy politics? No. Do I know what I’m doing? No. But am I qualified? Also no.” Yet on October 17, Rogers finished fourth out of 37 candidates and won a seat on Kelowna City Council. 

Seven ordinary citizens are taking some of the world’s most powerful figures to court over alleged COVID-19 vaccine injuries—and their case is moving forward! On October 22, a Dutch court heard arguments in a civil lawsuit against Bill Gates, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, the Dutch government, and 13 other defendants. Represented by lawyer Peter Stassen, the plaintiffs allege they were misled about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and suffered serious injuries as a result. Gates previously tried unsuccessfully to challenge the Dutch court’s jurisdiction.

The US government is reopening questions about wireless radiation and human health. After years of public concern, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it would conduct a federal inquiry into the possible health effects of electromagnetic fields, including wireless devices, and review existing evidence and safety standards.

The US CDC is finally putting greater emphasis on individual choice in COVID vaccination. Its updated 2026–27 guidance also states that vaccination of healthy people under 65 is now considered off-label and that the Pfizer COVID shot is no longer authorized for children under five.

In a major win for medical transparency, European drug regulators are tightening oversight of pharmaceutical companies to ensure clinical trial results are made public—even when the findings are unfavourable. After a recent study found that 98 of 234 clinical trials failed to fully meet reporting requirements, the European Medicines Agency is stepping up monitoring and reminding companies of their legal obligations.

Texas is investigating whether financial incentives are influencing childhood vaccine recommendations. Earlier this year, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued more than 20 investigative demands targeting pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and medical providers, including Pfizer and UnitedHealthcare. The inquiry has now expanded to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Investigators are examining whether doctors receive undisclosed bonuses or other financial rewards for administering vaccines, and whether financial relationships improperly influence medical advice.

The Democracy Fund has publicly named veteran fire investigator Glenn Baxter to lead its independent forensic investigation into Canada’s wave of church burnings and synagogue attacks. Since 2021, approximately 120 Canadian churches have reportedly been burned, vandalized, or desecrated.

Hundreds of US politicians and medical professionals have signed a pledge calling for COVID vaccines to be withdrawn. Organized by Americans for Health Freedom and led by Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, the campaign reported 169 elected officials, 178 political candidates and 129 physicians and scientists among its signatories.

Florida has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer and CEO Albert Bourla, accusing them of misleading Americans about COVID vaccine safety and transmission. Attorney General James Uthmeier alleges the company downplayed potential side effects while suggesting vaccination would prevent spread without having directly tested transmission in its original clinical trial. Florida seeks financial penalties and a court order against deceptive marketing. 

After more than 20 years of US military involvement in Iraq, American forces have finally withdrawn. The Pentagon officially announced the departure of its remaining forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base, ending its 12-year military mission against ISIS.

US deaths plunged as COVID booster uptake continues to fall. According to the Society of Actuaries, America’s age-adjusted death rate dropped 7% in winter 2025-26 compared with winter 2024-25, with an even larger 8.4% decline among people in their fifties. Meanwhile, CDC data show just 17.5% of American adults received a 2025–26 COVID shot, and only about 11% of those aged 18–49 got the jab.

In a rare win for natural medicine, the US government is putting millions toward researching a psychedelic compound that pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to fund. The FDA announced it is advancing the first federally funded clinical trials of ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic compound derived from an African shrub, to investigate its potential for treating opioid addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder. The initiative follows President Donald Trump’s April executive order allocating at least $50 million to advance psychedelic medicine research.

A win for pharmaceutical accountability: Pfizer must pay $44 million to settle a lawsuit over potentially cancer-causing contamination in its smoking-cessation drug Chantix. The drug was recalled in 2021 after testing revealed unacceptable levels of a chemical impurity linked to potential cancer risks. On October 13, a US federal judge approved compensation for eligible purchasers who alleged Pfizer sold the medication without disclosing the contamination.

Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber are finally free from house arrest. On October 7, both completed that portion of their 18-month conditional sentences stemming from the 2022 Ottawa protests. They remain subject to curfews until early 2027, but can now move about more freely after years of legal proceedings.