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Air Canada suspends operations as flight attendants go on strike

TORONTO (AP) — Air Canada suspended all operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.
Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike has started after no deal was reached, and the airline said shortly after that it would halt operations.
A bitter contract fight between Canada’s largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline’s request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract.
Flight attendants walk off the job
Flight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports.
Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union on Friday night and urged them to work harder to them to reach a deal “once and for all.”
“It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts,” Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media.
Pouliot, the spokesman for the union, earlier said the union had a meeting with Hajdu and representatives from Air Canada earlier Friday evening.
“CUPE has engaged with the mediator to relay our willingness to continue bargaining — despite the fact that Air Canada has not countered our last two offers since Tuesday,” he said in a email. “We’re here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike.”
Travelers are in limbo
A complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians a day may be stranded abroad. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day.
Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is on the line as they wait to hear from Air Canada about the fate of their Saturday night flight to Nice, France.
How long the airline’s planes will be grounded remains to be seen, but Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached.
Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airline’s website or mobile app, according to Air Canada.
The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full “due to the summer travel peak.”
Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets.
“At this point, it’s just a waiting game,” he said.
Laroche said he was initially upset over the union’s decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages.
“Their wage is barely livable,” Laroche said.
Sides say they’re far apart on pay
Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal.
Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes aren’t in the air.
The airline’s latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said “would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada.”
But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didn’t go far enough because of inflation. ___
Associated Press airlines writer Rio Yamat reported from Las Vegas.
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The eBay Labor Day Sale Has the Best Deals on LG Evo C5 4K OLED TVs So Far This Year

The eBay Labor Dale Sale has kicked off with a 20% off coupon code: “HAPPY30TH” to celebrate eBay’s 30 year anniversary. This coupon happens to work on several TVs, including the new 2025 LG OLED TVs. Right now you can pick up a 65″ LG Evo C5 4K OLED smart TV for just $1,299.19 after you apply 20% off coupon: “HAPPY30TH“. Alternatively, you can get a 77″ LG Evo C5 for $1,837.59 after the same code. These are the lowest prices I’ve seen all year and at least $200 less than other retailers’ Labor Day deals. The seller Buydig is reputable and has over half a million postive reviews. It is also an authorized LG reseller so you’re getting the manufacturer warranty.
LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TVs Are on Sale for Labor Day
The LG Evo OLED TV has been our favorite TV for gaming, especially for the PlayStation 5 console for three years running thanks to its outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate. The C5 is LG’s newest generatoin (2025) model in the lineup. The C5 uses LG’s proprietary Evo panel, which offers higher brightness level and contrast ratio compared to traditional W-OLED TVs (similar to QD OLED panels on Samsung TVs). OLED TVs offer the best image quality of any TV currently available at consumer prices thanks to near-infinite black levels, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. This is easily the best TV for streaming 4K HDR content in its intended glory.
The LG C5 has all the features you’d want in a gaming TV as well. It has a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz and all four HDMI ports are 2.1 spec for running games in 4K at up to 120fps on a PS5 or Xbox Series X without any tearing. The C4 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). The C5 is also pretty lightweight because the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber; 65″ model weighs only 36 pounds without the stand. That makes it easier to install, especially if you plan on wall mounting it.
What are the updates over the 2024 LG Evo C4 model?
The LG Evo C5 improves upon the C4 with an updated Alpha a9 Gen8 processor and a higher peak brightness level, the latter of which is the more significant upgrade. Higher peak brightness means the C5 is able to deliver slightly better contrast ratio, slightly wider color gamut, better glare and reflection handling, and greater usability in bright rooms.
The 77″ LG Evo C4 4K OLED TV is also on sale
If you don’t mind stepping down to the 2024 model, you’ll save around $160 going with the 77″ LG Evo C4 4K OLED smart TV. The C4 uses a similar Evo OLED panel to the C5 for increased brightness levels. It also has four HDMI 2.1 ports and a native 120Hz refresh rate that can be pushed to 144Hz for high-fps gaming on the PlayStation 5 console.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
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Leafy greens and bananas could reduce risk of heart disease by 24% because they reduce sodium in the bloodstream, new study finds

Eating leafy greens and foods such as bananas may cut the risk of heart disease, irregular heartbeats and death by up to a quarter, a new study has shown.
Potassium-rich foods, such as salmon, broccoli and spinach, can help your body eliminate more salt from your system and reduce the likelihood of heart-related illnesses by 24 per cent.
In the study, researchers investigated whether removing excess sodium from the bloodstream, which is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, could help lower that risk.
The study found that, overall, higher potassium levels in the blood were linked to a significantly reduced risk of heart events, hospital stays or death from any cause.
The study’s lead author, professor Henning Bundgaard from Copenhagen University hospital, said: “The human body evolved on a potassium-rich, sodium-poor diet – when we were born and raised on the savannah and eating [fruit and vegetables],” according to The Guardian.
“We 1756639219 tend to go to [a] modern diet that is processed foods and, the more processed, we see more and more sodium in the food and less potassium, meaning that the ratio between the two has changed from 10:1 to 1:2 – a dramatic change.”

Potassium is vital for the functioning of the heart, he said, and a low intake can increase the risk of arrhythmias, heart failure and death.
The study trialled 1,200 patients with implantable defibrillators, assigning 600 of them to diets rich in potassium, and low in meat, which is rich in potassium, but also in sodium. The results were presented at Madrid’s European Society of Cardiology congress, the world’s largest heart conference.
Professor Bundgaard said: “With a broader view we can say that higher dietary intake of potassium may not only benefit patients with heart disease but probably all of us, so maybe we should all reduce sodium and increase potassium content in our food.”
In April, a study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology found that eating more potassium can also lower blood pressure.
Anita Layton, one of the study’s authors, said: “Our research suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet such as bananas or broccoli might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium.”
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LSU tops Clemson in top-10 showdown, snaps Brian Kelly’s losing streak in openers: Takeaways

CLEMSON, S.C. — Brian Kelly put everything into this game. He embraced the pressure for LSU to win an opener for the first time in six years. He did it despite the risk, despite how hard it would be to end that streak Saturday with a win at No. 4 Clemson.
And then, despite seeming multiple mistakes, and a halftime deficit, No. 9 LSU pulled it off, beating Clemson 17-10. The streak is over, and Kelly has a validating win, one of the biggest of his four-year LSU tenure.
This offseason, Kelly had Clemson paw prints put all over the LSU facility, from the weight room to hallways. This after LSU lost every season opener since 2020, culminating in last year’s frustrated postgame news conference where Kelly pounded the table after losing to Southern California.
“We’ve made it a specific goal,” Kelly said in July during SEC media days. “I think it was important to have a tangible, specific goal for us to start the season. And I think it’s important our kids want that. They can taste it.”
For a while, though, it looked like the streak would be extended. Clemson scored first and took a 10-3 lead into halftime, after Kelly made the dubious decision to go for it on fourth down from the 13 with 15 seconds left. It failed, but LSU took over in the third quarter: Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier got hot, leading two touchdown drives, while the LSU defense kept making big stops.
Battle of Heisman contending QBs
After Arch Manning and No. 1 Texas lost earlier in the day, the two players with the next-best Heisman odds — LSU’s Nussmeier and Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik — went head to head a few hours later.
The quarterback duel never materialized, though. Instead, the defenses dominated. Neither quarterback threw a first-half touchdown pass. Klubnik finished 19-of-38 for 230 yards and an interception. Nussmeier went 28-of-38 for 230 yards and one touchdown.
The two experienced, talented passers will have at least 11 more opportunities to state their cases this season, but in Nussmeier’s case, coming away with the win gives him the inside track to the trophy even after an average performance against Clemson’s elite defense line. His numbers won’t offer him much value, but a road win against a top-10 opponent and possible future College Football Playoff team and conference champion will.
Nussmeier helped fuel LSU’s second-half comeback, and even with the modest numbers, he’s the likely new favorite for the Heisman Trophy after Week 1. — David Ubben
The rise of the LSU defense?
Fixing the LSU defense has been a multi-year focus for Kelly. It took small steps forward last year. This game showed another, possibly more tangible, improvement.
Two years ago, LSU had one of the worst defenses at the power-conference level, wasting Jayden Daniels’ Heisman season, and leading Kelly to change defensive coordinators. In Blake Baker’s first year, there was modest improvement, up to 14th in the SEC in scoring defense and yards-per-play allowed.
This season started on an even better note: Two straight three-and-outs, with Clemson attaining minus-10 yards. One of those came after the offense fumbled the ball just outside the red zone; LSU’s defense stood.
Clemson finished the first half with 110 yards. LSU’s offense wasn’t getting many results, but its defense kept the offense in the game long enough.
The run defense stifled Clemson. The pass rush kept Klubnik uncomfortable, leading to his interception in the third quarter. Harold Perkins Jr., back healthy after missing most of last year, had a sack playing out of his edge role. And LSU held on fourth-and-4 on Clemson’s final drive with a chance to tie the score. LSU has always had talent, it was confounding why it couldn’t have a better defense. The Tigers may finally be getting there.
The Tigers made a concerted effort to improve their defensive personnel with several additions along the defensive front and in the secondary. Transfer corner Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech) came up with a clutch pass break up on a critical fourth-down attempt by Clemson midway in the fourth quarter. Defensive line transfers Bernard Gooden (USF), Jack Pyburn (Florida) and Patrick Payton (Florida State) have elevated the talent level for LSU with that unit, and it looked considerably improved. — Antonio Morales and Seth Emerson
Controversial call?
LSU had what looked to be an apparent touchdown called off by officials on replay, on a consequential play in the second half with the score tied.
Nussmeier threw a deep pass down the sideline that was caught by receiver Barion Brown and ruled out at the 1-yard line. Replay showed that Brown crossed the goal line, but he lost the ball after hitting the ground, following one or two steps.
Officials ruled he didn’t maintain possession of the ball, a play reminiscent of Dez Bryant for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 or Calvin Johnson with the Detroit Lions in 2010.
ESPN’s rules analyst Bill Lemonnier, a former Big Ten official, said he would’ve ruled LSU’s play possession before Brown hit the ground.
“He’s got firm control. He’s got a foot down inbounds. He’s making a football move, and he’s even hit the pylon,” Lemonnier said on the ABC broadcast. “They’re saying when he hit the ground with the ball movement, that created the incomplete pass. In my view, I would’ve (already) had a touchdown.”
Still, LSU went on to take the lead early in the fourth quarter and held on for the win. — Chris Vannni
Real Death Valley?
Clemson’s mascot — he doesn’t have a name and is known only as The Tiger — tapped a black sign he was holding in the first quarter as the crowd roared for an LSU third down.
“Welcome to the real Death Valley,” it read.
It’s been a constant debate in the sport that crescendoed this week as the two sides clashed in Clemson. In my view? As elite an atmosphere as Clemson provides — it’s as loud as almost anything in the SEC — it still takes a backseat to LSU.
Saturday night was my first time seeing a game at Clemson. A prime-time, season-opening showdown between a pair of top-10 teams is as good as it gets.
Last year, I made my first two trips to LSU’s Death Valley to see the Tigers take on Ole Miss (they won in overtime) and Alabama (the Crimson Tide rolled). It’s as apples to apples a comparison as one can get.
Both are loud. Both packed their respective stadiums. Clemson, frankly, leans a little too hard into pounding bass from the blaring speakers and a DJ whose turntables are set up beside the jumbotron. Clemson’s pregame presentation is elite — the build up to players running down the hill is amazing — and there’s never a lull in the action or a moment when the in-game presentation allows the energy in the stadium to dip.
But LSU’s feels a little more unique with traditions like “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” to say nothing of the gumbo-fueled tailgating atmosphere that serves as a beacon of Cajun culture. It’s literally a different flavor that helps put LSU over the top as the better atmosphere, as well as a venue in Tiger Stadium that seats 20,000 more fans than its counterpart in Clemson.
The somewhat murky history behind which school coined the name when — Clemson was probably first — is secondary to me. I’m going with which place is louder and which place would better introduce an alien to a culture all its own. That’s LSU. — Ubben
(Photo: Katie Januck / Getty Images)
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