5 things you need to know this morning: March 23, 2023

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Canada’s population grows by 1 million in calendar year for the first time

Between Jan. 1, 2022 and Jan. 1, 2023, Canada’s population grew by 1,050,110 people. That is according to demographic estimates released by StatCan on Wednesday and it would mark the first time ever that Canada’s population has grown by more than one million over the course of a calendar year. It’s also the highest annual population growth rate since 1957.

Canada's population increased by more than a million people for the first time in history in 2022, almost entirely due to a surge in immigrants and temporary residents, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday. https://t.co/Hc7RIwGaKo

— CBC News (@CBCNews) March 23, 2023

2. Off-duty pilot thrust into action after pilot becomes ill while flying

Not long after a Southwest flight to Columbus took off from Las Vegas on Wednesday, one of the plane’s pilots needed medical attention after falling ill. Fortunately, a credentialed pilot from another airline was on board and stepped in to help out. It’s also fortunate that a nurse was on board, as they were able to help care for the sick pilot until the flight landed.

A pilot from another airline helped land a Southwest Airlines flight after its captain became "incapacitated" and required medical attention, according to the airline and radio traffic data. https://t.co/zO2knsCAFl

— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 23, 2023

3. Rare tornado tosses debris near Los Angeles

There has been extreme weather all over California of late, and on Wednesday it was a rare tornado that created chaos near Los Angeles. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado briefly touched down in an industrial park with estimated peak winds of 110 mph. It’s the strongest tornado to hit the LA area since 1983.

Tornado hits south maple ave in Montebello tearing the roof off multiple buildings and destroying multiple cars pic.twitter.com/yJrbuPMccj

— SaveArtsakh (@njtehcherchian) March 22, 2023

4. DNA from Beethoven’s hair offers clues about what made him sick

Nearly 200 years after Ludwig van Beethoven died, researchers pulled DNA from strands of his hair in a search for clues about the health problems and hearing loss that plagued him. They found a genetic risk for liver disease, plus a liver-damaging hepatitis B infection in the last months of his life. The study published Wednesday said that these factors, along with his chronic drinking, were likely enough to cause the liver failure believed to have killed him.

Researchers have used locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair to sequence the composer's genome for the first time. They uncovered some of Beethoven's medical and family history along the way while trying to understand his hearing loss and death. https://t.co/szKiXChgYF

— CNN (@CNN) March 23, 2023

5. Blackhawks won’t wear Pride jerseys due to security concerns for Russian players

On Sunday, the Blackhawks will host the Canucks on Pride Night in Chicago, but they won’t be wearing special Pride-themed warmup jerseys. The decision was reportedly made due to security concerns involving a Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ rights in the country. Nikita Zaitsev is the only Russian-born player currently on the roster, but there are other players on the team with ties to Russia.

The Blackhawks will not be wearing Pride Night warmup jerseys on Sunday against the Canucks, becoming the third NHL team to make such a decision https://t.co/0C7FEFw3Fj

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 23, 2023

_{Thumbnail photo of LA tornado damage courtesy of Getty Images.}