MUSLIM BAN LANDS IN U.S. COURT
Justice Dept. pushes back, states argue it would ‘unleash chaos’ metroNEWS
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Spicer gets all spicy over SNL portrayal metroLIFE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017
MAKE A LITTLE NOISE TORONTO’S MUSIC SCENE
Why this Toronto rocker says the city needs to act fast to save venues from extinction metroNEWS
Musician Priya Panda, at the Cherry Coke bar, is speaking out against the disappearance of music venues throughout Toronto — an issue that she says needs to be a priority at Toronto City Hall. EDUARDO LIMA/METRO
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Polluted air on GO puts riders at risk TRANSIT
Carcinogenic diesel exhaust levels ‘high’: U of T study If you’re a regular GO Transit commuter and you’re concerned about your health, you may want to start sitting at the back of the train. New research from the University of Toronto has found that in some circumstances passengers on commuter trains are at risk for exposure to “markedly high levels” of carcinogenic diesel exhaust. Passengers in the car directly behind the locomotive are at particular risk. The study recommends that “immediate steps be taken to evaluate and where needed mitigate exposure in all diesel powered passengers trains” and that “passengers with existing cardiac or respiratory conditions may as a precaution want to travel near the rear” of trains being pulled by a locomotive. Over the past year the study’s authors showed their findings to Metrolinx, the provincial agency that operates GO, and officials say they have already taken steps
to reduce pollution inside their coaches. “While we don’t take these issues lightly, we welcome any findings that can help us run a healthier, safer transit service,” said Greg Percy, Metrolinx’s chief operating officer. He stressed that it is safe to travel by GO train. “We want to assure everyone who relies on GO Transit every day that we place the highest priority on their health and safety and we will continue to monitor and report on air quality to ensure we see improvements.” The research was conducted by the Southern Ontario Centre for Atmospheric Aerosol Research at U of T and is one of the first studies to measure pollutant exposure inside commuter trains. Using portable devices, the researchers tested the air in coaches running on GO’s Richmond Hill line for two components of diesel exhaust: ultrafine particles and black carbon. While diesel exhaust can cause cancer, both of the components the scientists measured are toxic in their own right. Ultrafine particles have been known to cause lung and other health problems, while black carbon (essentially soot) has been linked to damage to respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems. TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
Passengers with existing cardiac or respiratory conditions may as a precaution want to travel near the rear. University of Toronto study
Our sanctuary city status must be more than just a label To start: Strongly denounce the politics of division and racism metroVIEWS