Snow and rain hits Toronto
Winter is coming – in the form of snow and rain. Extreme weather conditions hit Toronto, but while Environment Canada’s snowfall warning has ended for the city, but continues to impact the road conditions throughout the GTA.
Toronto’s director of transportation services, Peter Noehammer, told 680 News there was little the city could do to make the morning commute smoother.
“We have [salters] ready and standing by,” said Noehammer, to the news station. “Unfortunately, with this storm starting out as rain, there’s little we can do ahead of time.”
City officials are advising commuters to leave earlier, and anticipate longer-than-normal travel times, and double-check Pearson Airport departure and arrival times where applicable.
Paid plasma donations, coming soon?
Canadian Plasma Resources is out for blood, and will pay each donor around $20 a litre.
The Toronto Star reports the new company plans to be the first paid plasma donation centre in the province, if it receives an operating license from Health Canada. Currently, only the Winnipeg-based Cangene is legally able to provide this service, which is more common in the United States.
However, a spokesperson for the Ontario Public Services Employees Union, Rick Janson, told the Star, “You run into trouble when you start paying for donations of blood.”
The World Health Organization prefers countries to use volunteer-only blood donation services, as studies reportedly show unpaid donor blood is less likely to carry infections.
Canadian Blood Services addressed possible safety concerns in a statement on Monday, writing that using paid donations from the U.S. has been “common practice for decades.”
Anna Kendrick’s radio debut
Academy Award nominated-actress Anna Kendrick may soon see her name at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, or close by.
Kendrick’s breakout, viral hit “Cups,” from her movie Pitch Perfect, has been remixed for a radio release. All Access reports the song will hit radio stations on March 26.
The 27-year-old actress performs the jazzy song a cappella in the popular movie, and has also performed it on the Late Show with David Letterman. Kendrick explained to Dave that she first saw a version of the song on Reddit, and used it to audition for the part, only to have it written into the movie.
The infectious song is totally worth the hype. Give it a listen over at Entertainment Weekly.
