As It Happens: The Thursday Edition
Part One
Texas Abortion Ban
An abortion provider in Texas describes the "chaotic" scenes at her clinic, in the hours before severe restrictions came into effect -- and says confused and worried patients are still calling.
Hurricane Ida - Mattress Mac
Box-springing into action. A Texas mattress salesman rounds up the cavalry to help victims of Hurricane Ida -- even offering his showroom to people with no place to stay.
Spotted Skunk Study
Blue-sky stinking. An evolutionary ecologist tells us about an newly discovered, acrobatic species of skunks that deliver their smelly spray while doing a hand-stand.
100 Year Old Wine
Message in a whole lot of bottles. One Swiss state says "Happy Birthday" to any of its citizens who turn 100 by giving them a gift they have to open and open and open after opening: 100 bottles of wine.
Part Two
Purdue
Bitter pill. Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement effectively absolves the company's owners of any opioid-related liability. And Connecticut's Attorney General tells us that's a compromise his state isn't prepared to stomach.
Wildlife Photo - Mosquito
No bad blood. An Ontario entomologist says he doesn't begrudge the mosquito that bit him in Ecuador....because the photo he took of the multi-coloured insect has now been honoured in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.