Plant-forward eating and kidney health: A Canadian Medical Association Journal study of 179,508 people found sticking to plant-forward diets (including the EAT-Lancet pattern) was linked to a 2.7% lower chronic kidney disease incidence over about 12 years, with benefits tied to less oxidative stress, lower inflammation, and better blood pressure and gut health. Wildfire health risk: A rapid analysis says climate change has more than doubled the likelihood of the extreme conditions behind Canada’s 2026 wildfire season, as smoke and evacuations continue to affect communities. Manitoba hepatitis A outbreak: Manitoba reported 898 hepatitis A cases since Sept. 2024, with spread linked to person-to-person transmission and strained water/sewage infrastructure in remote Indigenous communities. Public health lab investment: Ottawa approved a major expansion of Winnipeg’s National Microbiology Laboratory’s Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, aimed at medical countermeasures. Animal rescue update: Seven more beluga whales rescued after Marineland’s closure have arrived at SeaWorld San Antonio following a long Canada-to-Texas transfer. Healthcare workforce training: U.Va. Health’s Earn While You Learn program graduated its first nursing cohort, letting staff work part-time while studying full-time. Clinical breakthrough story: A Saskatchewan ALS patient described how tofersen treatment in a trial helped slow decline after earlier setbacks. Policy debate: India’s ambassador to the U.S. pushed back on claims about its FCRA bill, arguing it’s about transparency and safeguards for NGO assets. Air quality and evacuations: Fire danger and smoke warnings continued across western Canada as crews battled fast-moving blazes.