Good morning. For those of you trying to break into show biz, keep in mind that it’s never too late to get signed by a big agency. For example, Parmigiano Reggiano just did it, and it’s been around since the Middle Ages…. Yes, we are talking about the beloved Italian cheese.
The organization in charge of regulating and promoting the so-called “king of cheeses” signed on with United Talent Agency as it pursues product placement deals. Get ready to see some giant wheels of cheese conspicuously placed in the background of blockbusters.
—Quinn Henderson, Lucas Arender, Taylor Scollon
FACTS OF INTEREST
🪝 Canadians aged 18 to 24 fell for a record number of investment scams last year, and were victimized at a higher rate than seniors. (Damn Scams)
🏠 Toronto fintech Manzil doubled its halal mortgage business in Canada in less than a year, with $100 million in financing on the books. (Go Halal)
🤖 Around 30 firms were targeted in the first reported cyberattack by autonomous AI agents running on Anthropic’s Claude Code system. (AI Hackers)
🤑 Between June 2024 and June 2025, over 2.9 million Canadians opened trading accounts as online brokerages add more features. (Free Trade)
🔬 Canada fell out of the top 20 OECD countries for research spending relative to GDP, per a new Council of Canadian Academies report. (R&D Drop)
WORLD
Tourists and wildlife are in a safari standoff
Source: Eric Isselee / Shutterstock.
A wildlife migration that’s considered the most spectacular natural show on earth has run into a roadblock: tourists who don’t want to give up their linen sheets and fine wine.
Driving the news: The Maasai ethnic group in Kenya is taking legal action to demolish a recently opened Ritz-Carlton luxury safari resort, arguing that it has blocked a key crossing of the Serengeti migration — one of the largest mass movements of animals in the world.
Catch-up: Tourists have long flocked to the Serengeti to experience the wildlife, but an industry that was once run largely by conservation-based safaris has now been disrupted by luxury, resort-style operations catering to the wealthy (we smell a new White Lotus season after France).
Africa has seen the highest tourism growth of any continent this year, while the number of camps in the Serengeti jumped to 175 last year, up from 95 in 2012.
Uber has even launched a mobile safari service in Kenya, adding to the growing number of vehicles fighting for position to let their passengers snap photos.
Why it matters: The very wildlife that tourists are paying US$3,500 a night to catch a glimpse of is being affected by their presence. Researchers say restricting the path of the two million wildebeest, zebra, and other species puts the entire migration at risk.
Bottom line: Some in the industry say this is all part of a broader shift toward “checklist culture”, where tourists are more concerned with grabbing an elephant selfie than learning about the country from those who know it best.—LA
INTERNATIONAL AISLE
Source: UkrPictures / Shutterstock.
🇺🇦 Ukraine pressured to accept peace plan. Donald Trump gave Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to accept a plan drafted by U.S. and Russian negotiators. The deal requires Ukraine to give up occupied territories and drop its NATO membership dreams. In a national address, Zelenskyy said Ukraine risks “either losing its dignity or… losing a key partner.” (AP News)
🇧🇷 Fossil fuel phaseout dropped at COP30 in Brazil. As the UN’s climate summit came to a close, a group of more than 30 nations said they couldn’t accept a draft text without previously promised commitments to develop a plan to transition away from fossil fuels. (Reuters)
🇯🇵 Japan to revive world’s biggest nuclear power plant. More than 14 years after the Fukushima disaster, Japan’s Niigata prefecture gave the greenlight to restart a reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. The country has struggled with high energy costs. (BBC News)
🇵🇱 Poland says Russia-linked saboteurs caused rail blast. Poland plans to charge two Ukrainian nationals with sabotage for an explosion on a stretch of railway tracks connecting the country with Ukraine. The men were allegedly in cahoots with Russian secret services. (AP News)
🇧🇩 Ex-Bangladeshi PM sentenced to death. Sheikh Hasina received the sentence after being found guilty of war crimes for ordering a deadly suppression of protests that led to her removal last year. Some fear that the sentence will stir unrest ahead of February elections. (Reuters)—QH
CRYPTO
Bitcoin has a bad case of the November blues
Source: Generated with Canva AI
Bitcoin is having its worst month since the Celsius Network (there’s a name we haven’t thought about lately) collapsed and Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange began its spectacular implosion.
What happened: The cryptocurrency has lost nearly a quarter of its value this month, its worst single-month performance since June 2022, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Why it’s happening: Without ‘fundamentals’ like earnings to point to, it’s always tricky to nail down why bitcoin prices fluctuate, but you can have your pick of theories circulating…
Investors are shying away from risk right now because of worries about a bubble in AI stocks and concerns that the Fed won’t cut interest rates as much as previously expected — crypto tends to fare poorly when speculators get cautious.
Large bitcoin holders are selling their positions, driving the price down — one crypto wallet has unloaded US$1.3 billion worth of bitcoin in the past month, for example — and the struggling broader crypto market is creating forced sellers.
Our take: Bitcoin was supposed to be a safe haven asset, but despite finally getting the blessing of U.S. regulators, political leaders, and big financial institutions, it’s still trading more like a volatile meme stock than something you’d want to hold for your rainy day fund.—TS
WEEKENDER
Eat a meal that uses one pan or pot. We don’t know about you, but for us, the increasingly early sunsets and frigid winds are really making us feel sluggish. Thankfully, this Delish list has 23 recipes that result in minimal dishes, including coq au vin and one-pot lasagna.
Read The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet. Canadian journalist and BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet traces the history of modern Afghanistan through the story of the country’s first luxury hotel, which has stood for 56 years, even amid turmoil.
Watch Wicked: For Good, now in theatres. Part two of the fantasy musical smash hit comes to theatres this weekend. And look, we realize if you’re planning to see this you likely already know it’s out, but if you’re on the fence, you can stream part one on Amazon Prime.
Listen to s h i n e by Tobias Jesso Jr. In the decade since releasing his debut LP, Jesso has become a prolific songwriter, working with some of the biggest names in music, but hasn’t put anything out under his own name. This new surprise album changes that.—QH
WAIT, THERE’S MORE
Canada Post and the postal workers union reached a tentative agreement, ending rolling strikes. This came after the postal service reported its biggest quarterly deficit ever last quarter, posting a staggering $541 million loss; that’s a 72% jump from the same quarter last year.
Mark Carney finished up his trip to the UAE, announcing that the country pledged to invest $70 billion in Canada and plans to work together on critical mineral processing.
Canada will donate ~$1 billion over three years to the Global Fund, which fights infectious diseases in poor nations, a smaller sum than its last contribution in 2022.
Canadian startup Maritime Launch Services held its first commercial rocket launch from its Nova Scotia spaceport (though the rocket failed to make it to outer space).
In other rocket launch news, SpaceX’s new rocket booster for its Starship spacecraft exploded during testing. SpaceX is targeting crewed missions to the moon for 2028.
PEAK PICKS
This banknote with an axolotl on it is so cute that millions of Mexicans are refusing to spend it.
Pucker up: A new study has mapped the potential origins of kissing.
How to answer the most impossible interview question.
Read: Are young Quebecers falling out of love with Quebec nationalism?
Buy Canadian this holiday season with this all-Canadian gift guide.
Watch: What hits harder, a baseball bat or a cricket bat?
SATURDAY CARTOON
Artwork by Hailey Ferguson.
Congratulations to the winners of last week's cartoon caption contest and thanks to everyone who submitted!
Want to see this week's cartoon and try your hand at another caption? Click here and give us your best witticism.
GAMES
No Saturday morning is complete without The Peak’s Saturday Crossword.
Then, a fake headline has broken containment and it’s your job to flush it out.
Mouth Tape Maker Settles Lawsuit Over Too-Sticky Adhesive.
I Cofounded a Hacker House in San Francisco. We Survive on Weekly Hikes and Mark Zuckerberg-Themed Raves.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Lying About Astronaut Wife Accessing Bank Account from Space Station.
Sales of AI-Enabled Teddy Bear Suspended After It Gave Advice on BDSM Sex and Where to Find Knives.
Keep scrolling for the answer…
ANSWER
Let’s just rip it off — #1 is the fake headline.