On Trial: President Trump's nominee to the US Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, faced her first day of congressional questioning as part of her confirmation process.

The China Hustle: Trudeau vows to stand up to China's aggressive diplomatic posturing.

Banks: Scotiabank sells operations in Antigua and Barbuda.

No Limits: Bank of Canada Governor Steven Poloz says the Bank of Canada is close to its policy limits.

That's Wholesome: Suffering from patio withdrawal? With winter almost here, here's a nice piece in GQ praising the value of non-drinking activities.

Mac is Back: The explosion of Doggface208's cranberry sipping skateboard TikTok has catapulted Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams' back on the Hot 100 for the first time since 1977.

Epcot is Not: Fun video on what EPCOT (the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) was conceptualized to be and how it turned into what we know it as.

💵Get your wallets ready. Yesterday, Apple held their 'Hi, Speed.' event where they unveiled four new phones: the iPhone 12, as well as their Pro, Mini, and Max versions.

But the really big news was Apple's announcement that the iPhone 12 will be their first 5G enabled device.

What's 5G again? 5G is the latest in cellular technology. According to experts, 5G will 10x internet browsing speeds, enable 4K video on your phone, and power the next generation of connected devices, such as autonomous vehicles.

Is 5G available in Canada? Yes! Rogers, Bell and Telus are all in the process of rolling out their 5G networks and almost all Canadian cities have some coverage. The problem? Very few devices actually support 5G.

That's until now... the iPhone 12 is the first high profile phone to support the new spectrum and marks a turning point for the technology.

What else did Apple announce?

Apple also unveiled a new Homepod Mini and a new wireless charger but both took a supporting role to the iPhone 12.

The strangest news of the event was Apple's announcement that they're going to remove a wall charger and wired headphones from the iPhone 12 box. End of an era for the white earbuds...

Forget about China, America's got a new foe on the trade front: the menacing Europeans! Yesterday, the WTO gave the European Union permission to tax up to $4 billion of American products annually.

Why? In a classic sea-saw, last year the World Trade Organization gave the US the permission to tariff European products in retaliation for generous EU subsidies to French-based plane manufacturer Airbus.

The European Union proceeded to counter-sue the US, arguing that the US Government also heavily subsidizes their domestic airplane manufacturer Boeing. So now the EU can charge their own tariffs on US goods in response to the US's original tariff – that's what we call a tariff tongue-twister.

What's next? The WTO's main motivation for the decision was to force both parties to come to the table to negotiate a settlement. But that could take years...

Zoom out: In the short term, key industries – already struggling due to COVID-19 – will be particularly hard hit by Europe's tariffs. Last year, the EU released a list of items it could tax, including aircraft, chemicals, citrus fruit, frozen fish and ketchup (not ketchup?!?).

This is really bad for news for Boeing. Between the grounding of their 737 MAX's fleet, the drop in air traffic due to COVID-19 and now European tariffs, Boeing can't catch any breaks.

Over the weekend, Air Canada announced they still plan to acquire Air Transat but on revised terms. The proposed deal would see Air Canada purchase Air Transat at $5 per share, down from the original $18 per share.

Is it a done deal? While both parties have agreed to the revised terms, the deal is far from final.

What does this mean for you? Prior to the pandemic, the proposed takeover of Air Transat by Air Canada was highly contentious. If approved, the acquisition would give Air Canada a 60% marketshare over Transatlantic flights and dominance in Montreal air travel.

Zoom out: The more than 60% discount in share price shows you how hammered the airline industry is being hit. Air Canada is proceeding with the deal because they think they're getting a airline for a steal. Now it's up to the regulators to decide if it's in our country's best interest...

Watch out Elon Musk, the Canadian Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA) is coming for you... Yesterday, the CAPM, which represents Canadian auto parts manufacturers, launched Project Arrow, an initiative to prove that a fully electric vehicle can be designed and assembled in Canada.

What are they building? The APMA is hoping to build an original, full-build zero-emissions concept car designed by students at Carlton University. They launched the project in response to Prime Minister Trudeau's call for a zero-emissions future by 2050.

Why is this important? Canada is home to hundreds of small scale parts manufacturers who produce components used in nearly every vehicle. The goal of Project Arrow is to demonstrate that Canada has the expertise and capacity to produce electric vehicles at scale. APMA's hope is that a multinational manufacturer sees Canada's capabilities and decides to invest in our automotive sector.

Bottom line: Advanced manufacturing jobs will be key to our country's economic future. Demonstrating that Canada is capable of producing high-quality electric vehicles will go a long way in securing future investment.