Have you heard the news? Maybe not, since Meta is making good on its promise to pull access to the news in Canada. 

What happened: Meta has started the process of ending news availability in Canada in response to the Online News Act, a law requiring digital platforms to pay local news outlets.

Talks to recruit soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé may have fallen flat, but at least Saudi Arabia's foray into golf, gaming, and now, critical minerals mining is taking off.

What happened: Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, and state-owned mining company Ma’aden struck a US$2.6 billion deal with Brazilian mining giant Vale for a 10% stake in its base metals business—one of the world’s top suppliers of copper and nickel. 

Is your ‘type’ an accomplished tech professional with a six-figure salary? Then you might have to battle it out with Canada’s immigration office. 

What happened: Canada is moving away from its points-based system for immigrant selection to pursue people with work experience in the tech sector, per The Globe and Mail. 

In the world of science, just like in infomercials, if something seems too good to be true, there’s a good chance it is. 

Driving the news: Some scientists are sounding the alarm over fishy details and inconsistencies in research papers published by a South Korean team claiming the discovery of a room-temperature ambient-pressure superconductor, per Scientific American. 

The Associated Press might’ve been the first news outlet to cut an AI licensing deal, but they made sure they weren’t giving OpenAI an early-bird discount. 

What’s happening: Associated Press (AP)—the first news publisher to strike a content licensing deal with OpenAI—has built-in safeguards to the agreement that reflect the uncertainty of news content’s value in a future with powerful AI platforms, per the Wall Street Journal. 

A new train system launching today in Montreal is set to reshape how people get around the city—and could become a proof of concept for a new way of building infrastructure elsewhere in the country. 

Catch up: The first phase of the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) will whisk riders from the suburb of Brossard to Montreal’s central station—a trip that takes up to 40 minutes in rush hour traffic—in just 18 minutes. 

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

On this week’s episode of Free Lunch by The Peak, we sat down with Jay Rosenthal to discuss the challenges facing major cannabis players, and what’s next for the industry.

In Central America, El Salvador’s president has become more popular than the Pope—and no, it’s not because he decided to make Bitcoin legal tender back in 2021.

What happened: The country once known for having the world’s highest murder rate has locked away over 70,000 accused criminals in the last year (part of a sweeping campaign to crack down on powerful gangs) and cut the homicide rate by 92% from 2015 levels.

Aliens: Terrifying threat from beyond the stars… or untapped economic opportunity? 

Driving the news: This week, a former US intelligence officer told Congress while under oath that the US government has been hiding UFOs from the public view for decades, including a wreckage that included "non-human" biologics (an alien, he means an alien). 

Like a friend trying to get you to the wildest party when it’s well after midnight, Tesla is facing accusations of over-exaggeration. 

Driving the news: A new bombshell exposé from Reuters alleges that Tesla had rigged its dashboards to show more optimistic driving ranges, starting about a decade ago. 

Inflation is cooling across the Western world, but don’t grab your party hats just yet. 

Driving the news: Over the last month, the Bank of Canada, US Federal Reserve, and European Central Bank (ECB) each raised their respective key interest rates by 0.25 of a percentage point, bringing the cost of borrowing in Western markets to 22-year highs. 

Canada’s top high-end winterwear brand (named after an aggressive northern waterfowl) is tapping into the growing consumer desire to get thrifty.

What happened: Canada Goose (CG) has launched a resale platform in Canada that lets people exchange their used apparel for gift cards worth up to 60% of the item’s retail price. 

As the demand for experiences like travel, movie passes, and concert tickets soars, companies are taking advantage by leaning into ‘dynamic pricing.’ 

Driving the news: Last weekend, some Cineplex locations charged $1 more for tix to see blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer than other older releases, per The Globe and Mail. 

According to a new TD Economics report, Canada's historic population growth risks exacerbating the country’s biggest problem areas.

What happened: With Canada on track to welcome over one million permanent and temporary residents in 2023—between immigrants, students, temporary workers, and refugees—economists from a Big Five bank are urging the feds to pump the brakes.

As of yesterday, almost 80% of Canada’s ministers are new or in a new role… all with the hopes of making a dent in the country’s most pressing issues ahead of the next election. 

What happened: Following what former Liberal minister Catherine Mckenna called a “bonkers Cabinet shuffle speculation," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau almost completely overhauled his front bench with a renewed focus on housing, defence, and public safety. 

Much like baggy clothes and country music, zoning laws are having a moment. 

What happened: Vancouver city council is voting on a policy that would allow developers to build up to six units on just over half of land reserved for single-detached housing. If approved, the policy could come into force by January. 

In the most significant rebrand since BackRub became Google, Twitter is now X. 

What happened: If you’ve ever thought of changing your name and leaving it all behind, Elon Musk is right there with you. This week, the X (previously Twitter) owner began rolling out the platform’s teased rebrand, bringing his vision of an “everything app” closer to life.  

AI chatbots have generated a lot of talk, but are they generating revenue??

Driving the news: Alphabet and Microsoft dropped their earnings reports for the first full quarter since going all in on AI. Both companies are at the forefront of commercializing generative AI and recently released search engine chatbots.

A new report from research and management firm Morningstar shows that only 48% of the revenue streams for Canadian equities are sourced domestically. In other words, your investments could be getting more globalized – whether you know it or not. 

Driving the news: According to Morningstar, Canada is joining the likes of the United States, Japan, and Australia as its companies’ revenues become more internationally focused.