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Good morning. Greenlanders might not feel like their world is free right now, but Neil Young wants them to keep on rocking. The Canadian music icon is granting free access to his online archives, which includes his whole catalogue, to residents of the beleaguered island.

Young said in a statement that he hopes his music can “ease some of the unwarranted stress” caused by the “unpopular and hopefully temporary” U.S. government. That’s far from the first dig Young has levied at Donald Trump (who, at one point, was a huge Young fan).  

Today’s reading time is 5½ minutes.

Markets: Canada’s main stock index brushed off uncertainty about future interest rate cuts to finish up yesterday. Meanwhile, in after-hours trading, Meta shares boomed as it posted a quarterly earnings beat, Microsoft shares slumped on slowing cloud growth, and Tesla shares rose after beating analyst expectations despite a revenue drop.

Uber’s next chapter could be driven by Canadian tech. 

What happened: Toronto-based autonomous vehicle startup Waabi just closed a US$750 million funding round, marking one of the largest venture capital raises in Canadian history. The company also announced a new tie-up with Uber to launch a fleet of at least 25,000 robotaxis in the near future. 

Why it matters: This isn’t just a big deal for a promising Canadian startup, it also marks something of a renaissance for Uber’s robotaxi push, which looked to have hit a dead end when the ridesharing giant abandoned its efforts to build a self-driving car in 2020.

Yes, but: Robotaxis have seen strong adoption in some U.S. cities (20% of all Uber rides in Austin, Texas, were in Waymos), but it remains to be seen if Waabi’s tech will perform at scale in urban environments. Meanwhile, Waymo is continuing to expand into new cities.

Bottom line: Nobody has a crystal ball to see when driverless cars will become our new norm, but Uber’s CEO predicts every car on the road will be autonomous in 20 years, and that driving will become a novel activity akin to horseback riding.—LA

Ottawa is negotiating with Meta to get news back on its platforms in Canada. The feds are reportedly in talks to bring news content back to Facebook, which Meta removed from its platforms after the Online News Act was passed in 2023. The U.S. has voiced its displeasure with both the Online News Act and the Online Streaming Act — both of which target American tech giants — and is expected to push for changes to the policies in the upcoming CUSMA negotiations. (CBC News)

The Bank of Canada and the Fed kept interest rates steady. The BoC held its benchmark rate at 2.25% as expected, though Governor Tiff Macklem suggested the central bank could change course depending on U.S. trade policy. Macklem’s counterpart south of the border, Jerome Powell, followed suit, holding the Federal Reserve’s key rate steady. (Bloomberg News)

Amazon is laying off another 16,000 corporate workers. It’s the e-commerce giant’s second round of mass layoffs in the past few months. In an unfortunate gaffe, Amazon accidentally sent out a mass email outlining the layoffs a day before workers were informed they were being let go. Even worse, the layoff plan was dubbed “Project Dawn.” (Associated Press)

Starbucks might be back. The coffee chain saw its global sales climb 4% last quarter, topping even the most optimistic analyst expectations. It’s the first sign that CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround plan, centred around cutting down the menu and speeding up service, is starting to work. Maybe people really do like ceramic mugs and free refills. (Bloomberg News)

Ottawa is working on bringing South Korean automakers to Canada. The feds signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea to bring more auto manufacturing to Canada. Both South Korea and Germany — the two finalists to land a Navy submarine contract — have been asked by Ottawa to make auto manufacturing pledges as part of their bid. (Globe and Mail)

Tesla’s profits were nearly halved last year. The EV maker saw its profits sink 46% in 2025, thanks to falling sales in North America and Europe and more intense competition in Asia. (TechCrunch)—LA

Before every winter, Canadians make the same promise: This is the year I buy a snow blower.

Every winter, we break it, usually while shovelling at 6:30 a.m. in the dark. If that was you, winter might have won this round… but between saving on bank fees and earning high interest, next year's upgrade could be on us.

The EQ Bank Personal Account takes you the extra mile with:

Think of it this way: by saving on unnecessary fees and earning interest that actually makes a difference, you're basically getting paid to bank. 

That's money you can put toward the things that make life easier, whether it's a snow blower, quality winter tires, or finally upgrading that sad shovel. 

Start keeping more of what you earn, visit eqbank.ca to get started.

New research led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that alcohol causes the most overall harm of any drug in Canada. The study scored 16 different substances on a 100-point scale looking at 16 different categories including physical health, economic costs, and relationships. Alcohol scored a massive 79, while second-place tobacco scored just 45.

Why it matters: Part of the reason alcohol ranks so high is its widespread use compared to other substances. The findings, alongside other new research about the sustained rise of drinking since the pandemic, suggest that we, as a nation, could stand to ease up on the booze — and there is someevidencethat’s exactly what’s happening.

The leading name in plant-based meat is trying to dodge the fate that befell Yves. Its plan: stop mimicking McDonald’s and start mimicking Muscle Milk and Celsius.

Driving the news: Beyond Meat’s initial test run of its new Beyond Immerse protein soda has sold out on its website. The drink comes in two versions, promising either 10 or 20 grams of protein at either 60 or 100 calories per can — plus seven grams of fibre regardless.

Why it’s happening: Beyond’s sales are down, it’s never turned a profit, and its shares were worthless enough to become a meme stock. But it does have unparalleled plant protein expertise, which its CEO believes could make it the “global protein company for tomorrow.” Note the word ‘protein’ and not ‘plant-based’ there.

Why it matters: The plant-based meat market has collapsed from highs earlier this decade amid skepticism about processed foods and flagging interest in reducing meat consumption. That said, with interest in protein and meat prices both elevated, there’s still room for new categories of protein alternatives to make a mark. 

Our take: It’s unclear if chasing the functional drink trend is enough to turn around Beyond, but the proposition of 20 grams of protein in a 12-ounce can is admittedly intriguing. We’d try one! Probably the lemon-lime flavour.—QH

✈️ 80%. How much a new airplane’s total cost is made up by just its engines, the result of a recent supply shortage that’s driven up prices. About 20 years ago, an airplane's engines would have only made up about 20-30% of the aircraft's total value.

Wakey-wakey! We’ve got today’s mini-crossword and the daily sudoku waiting for you. 

Once you’re done with those, take on our new Codebreaker game!