The news you need to know to start the day. Wednesday, May 06, 2026 Wednesday, May 06, 2026 Written by Hanna Lee Copy Editor, Digital News Good morning. Health officials are looking into whether the deadly hantavirus was spread from human to human — but don't panic yet. We'll get into that below, as well as the K-shaped restaurant economy and a look into Canada's mid-size cities, which are running into big-city problems as they expand. THE LATEST Maya Gebala, the 12-year-old seriously injured in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting, has undergone a successful cranioplasty , her father said. Canada is looking to pick between Swedish and U.S. radar planes to protect its skies from hypersonic or cruise missiles. The privacy commissioner's investigation into whether ChatGPT adheres to Canadian privacy laws will be made public today at around 11 a.m. ET. U.S. President Donald Trump wanted political retribution against Republican incumbents in Indiana who defied his calls to help the party in Congress by redrawing election boundaries. On Tuesday night, Trump largely got his revenge . FEATURED STORIES (U.S. CDC/AFP/Getty Images) Human-to-human transmission of killer hantavirus suspected in cruise ship outbreak Deaths and illnesses are spreading from a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, and health officials now suspect human-to-human transmission may have played a role. What's happening: At least eight out of about 150 passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius have fallen ill at different times along the Dutch-flagged ship's month-long journey; three people have since died. All eight are suspected cases of hantavirus (two are officially confirmed), an illness typically spread by contact with rodents or their excretions, commonly when the material is disturbed. It usually doesn't spread farther after that. Why it matters: Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is incredibly rare, and a unique trait of the Andes variant of the virus. This strain can cause late-appearing symptoms that escalate quickly, with a death rate of about 40 per cent. While this news may be reminiscent of the pre-pandemic chaos of early 2020, officials say not to be too concerned yet. For the virus to spread between people, it usually requires close, prolonged contact, and hantavirus infections themselves remain extraordinarily rare. Lauren Pelley has the full story Quick service restaurants are taking a bigger hit as Canadians feel crunched by the cost of living Restaurants everywhere have been pinched as rising costs cause customers to close their wallets. But here's what's surprising: quick-service restaurants are getting hit harder than higher-end ones, according to Restaurants Canada. What's happening: Real sales among full-service restaurants grew by 4.6 per cent year over year in January, according to Restaurants Canada's survey of 300 members, while quick-service locations declined by two per cent. It also found that fine dining saw the largest growth in traffic last year — though nearly half were still reporting lower total sales. Why it matters: It's yet another signal that we're in a K-shaped economy , said Kelly Higginson, CEO of Restaurants Canada, in which those with the most money can still pony up for a nice meal, while lower-income people have no option but to cut back on eating out entirely. But as the cost of fuel continues to rise, quick service may be something of a canary in the coal mine for the broader restaurant sector. Abby Hughes has the full story Canada's mid-size cities are growing like big ones — and running into the same fights Across Canada, mid-size cities like London, Ont., and Halifax are adding multi-unit housing at a pace not seen in decades. What's happening: Growth patterns are changing outside the country's largest centres, according to a CBC News analysis of data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Multi-units, like apartments and row houses, now make up nine of every 10 homes built in B.C.'s Victoria and Abbotsford and Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo. Why it matters: These cities, long seen as areas that are still urban but where people sought more space, are now going through many of the growing pains that larger ones like Toronto and Vancouver experienced during their construction booms. In Halifax, for example, building more units didn't necessarily solve the city's housing crisis, said Ren Thomas, a Dalhousie University professor. Construction has instead been shaped by what works for developers, and not necessarily what's most affordable for residents. Colin Butler has more IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will look into a secretive expense program under which former governors general billed Ottawa $554,000 last year. Meanwhile, Carney has named Louise Arbour as the country's next governor general . The francophone's legal resumé includes serving as a UN human rights commissioner and on the Supreme Court. A Nova Scotia-based company let workers believe for years their pay was not taxable. The first stretch of the proposed high-speed rail network, from Montreal to Ottawa, could cross about 1,700 properties , according to the Crown corporation behind the project. IN LIGHTER NEWS (Fox Valley Technical College) He was teaching CPR, then went into cardiac arrest. His students saved him Karl Arps, an emergency medical technician instructor in Appleton, Wis., was demonstrating to his students the signs of a heart attack — until he started actually having one. When he went into cardiac arrest, his students, well instructed as they were, immediately sprung into action. They called 911 and took turns administering CPR and a defibrillator until first responders arrived on the scene. Arps, 72, is now on the mend after a triple bypass surgery. He says he's amazed he's even alive — fewer than 10 per cent of people survive cardiac arrest outside of the hospital , though that rate can triple for those treated by bystanders. He credits his students for his recovery: "'Thank you' does not seem enough. They saved my life, period." Read more here TODAY IN HISTORY | MAY 6 1880: Canada appoints arguably its first diplomat in Sir Alexander Galt, high commissioner to London, though it is more of an informal position. 1889: The Eiffel Tower first opens to the public as the centrepiece of the Exposition Universelle, or World's Fair, in Paris. 1994: Queen Elizabeth and French President François Mitterrand inaugurate the Channel Tunnel, which connects Folkestone, U.K., to Coquelles, France. (With files from The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters) Thanks for reading! Drop us a line anytime. Send your feedback and comments to morningbrief@cbc.ca . Check CBCNews.ca anytime for the most recent headlines . Got a news tip or story idea? Contact us . CBC NEWS APP The most convenient way to get your news Breaking news alerts Local, national & world news In-depth coverage Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 250 Front St. W, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3G5
