Canadian workers are staying put

As the labour market slows down, the “job-hopping generation” is deciding to stay put. 

What’s happening: New Stats Canada data shows that Canadians are changing jobs at the lowest rate seen since 2020, a sign the labour market is weakening, per The Globe and Mail.

Entrepreneurs see opportunity in city-building

Ever played SimCity and thought it might be fun to try your hand at creating a city from scratch in real life? You aren’t alone: A growing cohort of entrepreneurs backed by deep-pocketed financiers are giving it a whirl.

Driving the news: A company backed by a who’s who of the tech world has spent US$800 million buying up tens of thousands of acres of land as part of a plan to build a new city in California, per an investigation by The New York Times.

Researchers crack the Y chromosome code

A scientific breakthrough could shed light on some of the biggest threats facing men's health. 

Driving the news: According to new research published in the Journal of Nature, scientists have fully sequenced the DNA of the Y chromosome.

What to do this weekend

Our picks for what to eat, read, watch, and listen to this weekend.

Andrei Bruno on investing in a confusing economy

Trump is changing the rules of politics… again

Is anyone really surprised that Donald Trump continues to change the nature of US politics? Or should we say… do the unpresidented.

What happened: Within minutes of his mugshot being released from Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail, the former US President had posted the image to his website with a statement saying he “was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME” at the “notoriously violent” jail.

How is Ozempic affecting Denmark’s economy?

How are scores of Americans trying to lose weight affecting Danish monetary policy? The answer isn’t as complicated as it may seem. 

Driving the news: Novo Nordisk, the Danish producer of blockbuster drugs Ozempic and WeGovy, has pumped so much of its profit into Denmark’s economy this year that it has single-handedly inflated the value of the Danish krone and impacted interest rate decisions.

US intelligence weighs in on Russian warlord plane crash

The exact causes of the plane crash believed to have killed Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin have not been found, but there are plenty of theories beyond bad turbulence.

What happened: Initial US intelligence reports determined that the plane crash believed to have killed Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was the result of an intentional explosion. As of last night, Russia has yet to officially confirm his death, as the recovered bodies are burned beyond recognition and will require DNA testing.

BRICS adds six more countries

The BRICS bloc of developing countries achieved heavyweight status this week by expanding to cover 47% of the world’s population and 36% of the global economy. 

Driving the news: The leaders of BRICS, representing Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, made a surprise announcement at their summit to extend the group’s membership to six new countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina, and the UAE. 

Nvidia keeps cashing cheques

Like Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon this year, Nvidia’s recent performance has launched it into household name status. 

What happened: Shares of chipmaker Nvidia are up almost 11% on the week, after reports the company had doubled its revenue from a year ago while riding the wave of the AI hype. Nvidia’s technology is an essential component of ChatGPT, and other similar chatbots. 

Colder weather, colder drinks

Cold drinks are hot right now, and it’s all because Gen Z thinks they’re totally mother… are we using that right?  

What happened: Starbucks has prematurely dropped its lineup of fall beverages again this year. If the thought of drinking a piping-hot PSL on a hot August day churns your stomach, fear not—for the first time, three of the five fall beverages will be served iced by default. 

Québec shoots down student cap idea

The federal government is floating ‘capping student visas’ as a new idea to cool the housing crisis… but Québec is having none of it. 

What happened: Earlier this week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller confirmed that the federal government is strongly considering a cap on the number of international students Canada accepts. The Québec government responded by saying it would reject such a cap. 

Japan’s nuclear controversy

Today, in unsurprising news, dumping nuclear wastewater into the ocean is controversial. 

What happened: Japan began releasing nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was shut down after a tsunami triggered a nuclear disaster in 2011. Japan believes that releasing ~1.34 million tonnes of contaminated water that has built up (in the years since) is a vital step in retiring the plant from service. 

Building with BRICS

An exclusive economic club between Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa is officially open for new members. 

What happened: The three-day BRICS Summit got underway in Johannesburg yesterday, with 60 guests convening to discuss topics like taking the powerful US dollar down a notch and increasing economic ties around the Global South. 

Meta launches an AI translator

For anyone who tries to get by with only speaking English on vacation, Meta has introduced new technology that could help you keep the ball rolling.  

Driving the news: The company has launched an AI-powered translation tool that lets users communicate—through both text and speech—in nearly 100 languages. Over time, these tools will be introduced across all Meta platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp.

The modern-day Moon race

Like vinyl records, lunar exploration is a 1960s fave that’s back in a big way. 

Driving the news: India’s lunar lander Chandrayaan-3 begins its descent to the Moon this morning. If successful, it would be the first spacecraft to land on the Moon’s south pole and give India a leg up in the global rush to harvest lunar resources and establish lunar bases

The high art market goes low

After a record-breaking 2022, the fine art market has crashed harder than a Jeff Koons balloon dog sculpture knocked off its pedestal by a clumsy gallery-goer. 

Driving the news: In the first five months of the year, overall global fine art sales have dropped by 14% compared to the same time last year, while sales at the Big Three Auction houses (Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips) dropped a whopping 20%, per Artnet.

A Montréal housing bylaw falls short

In today’s episode of ‘Canadian housing gone wrong’: A 2021 Montréal bylaw meant to lead to the construction of over 1,200 new social housing units has produced zero. 

What happened: The idea of the bylaw is to force developers to contribute to the city’s affordable housing supply by creating housing themselves, giving up a property to the city, or offering a financial contribution. Every developer has chosen the option to pay up.

Subway for sale

For sale: One lightly used sandwich chain. Price tag: About ten billy.

What happened: Private equity firm Roark Capital is closing in on a deal to buy Subway for a reported price of US$9.6 billion, adding a foot-long trophy to its collection of fast food restaurants that also includes Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Sweeping EU tech rules set to take effect

Big Tech may not have any interest in complying with Canada’s recent attempts to regulate them, but the European Union is having more luck.

Driving the news: The first wave of new European Union rules governing big tech platforms, part of one of the most significant expansions of digital regulations in Western history, will come into effect next week.