Life in America is deeply anxious. Where are we headed? How bad could it get? Who are we, anyway? What’s particularly scary is that everyone’s scared. Even the people whose candidate just won are frightened—of immigrants, of the future, but also of the rest of us. In a column from before the election, I described … Read more
The volatility of international oil markets hit home again earlier this week, as crude prices tumbled to their lowest levels in more than a year. Just a couple of weeks ago, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices — North America’s benchmark for crude oil — were around $75 US a barrel. This week, prices skidded to … Read more
At the Paris Olympics, breaking entered as arguably the most exciting new event in decades: an art form sprung from the hip-hop culture of the Bronx, set to take the biggest international sports stage in the world. One Canadian gold medal, more than a few headspins and seemingly millions of memes later, the hype has … Read more
An environmentalist and activist, Carla Denyer has made significant strides in her political career. Named the most popular candidate for the Green Party in 2019, Denyer’s journey reflects her unwavering commitment to environmental and social justice causes. Denyer and Adrian Ramsay have co-led the Green Party since 2021. After serving as a Bristol City Councillor … Read more
Welcome to Work Smarter, Fast Company‘s newsletter on career, leadership, and productivity advice. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week here. I come from a long line of worriers—both my mother and grandmother lost countless hours of sleep over things they couldn’t control, concerned about what could go wrong. As a child I worried about … Read more
The Bank of Canada says business and consumer sentiment improved during the first quarter of the year, despite higher interest rates still putting a drag on the economy. The central bank on Monday released its business outlook and consumer expectations surveys, which showed increased optimism as people expect interest rate cuts are nearing. Although firms … Read more
Defence Minister Bill Blair says NATO countries like Canada must ramp up their aid to Ukraine as support from the United States languishes in a legislative quagmire. In an interview that aired Sunday on Rosemary Barton Live, Blair expressed optimism that the U.S. would eventually pass a significant aid bill to provide billions of dollars worth … Read more
Voters in the United States likely will face a choice in the November presidential election between optimism for the future, or nostalgia for a past that never existed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday. And while a second Donald Trump presidency “won’t be easy,” Trudeau told a Montreal business audience, the federal government is prepared for … Read more
Brad Clements, 82, has been growing Christmas trees near Milton, Ont., since the 1980s but is getting ready to pack it in. “We’re looking at closing it up in the next year or so, if not sooner,” said Clements, owner of Clembrook Christmas Farm. Clements and his wife aren’t passing the business on to a … Read more
