Advertise on podcast: The Peak Daily

Canada could soon get another regulated prediction market as Verdx seeks approval to offer event contracts to retail and institutional investors — though strict rules barring bets on politics and sports could make it difficult to lure users away from offshore platforms. Plus, McDonald’s is using AI to recommend different prices for the same menu items based on each location’s customer base, fuelling concerns that algorithmic pricing is shifting from charging more when demand spikes to calculating exactly how much individual customers will tolerate. And in The Big Picture: Canada Rocket Company unveils plans for a homegrown rival to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, rogue AI agents target Library and Archives Canada, the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger gets the green light, Ottawa designates a West Coast oil pipeline as a project of national interest, OpenAI cuts ties with researchers accused of leaking confidential information, Broadcom offers Anthropic up to US$42 billion in financing, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Panama is considering reopening First Quantum Minerals’ Cobre Panama copper mine — but only long enough to fund its eventual closure — dealing a major blow to one of Canada’s largest miners and adding pressure to an already tight global copper supply. Plus, OpenAI is facing a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over its agents’ rogue cyberattack on Hugging Face, a case that could help determine who is legally responsible when autonomous AI systems break the law or cause harm. And in The Lab a new global study finds that infections caused 12% of all new cancer cases in 2024, highlighting how vaccines, treatment, and earlier screening could prevent hundreds of thousands of cases. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Anthropic is targeting a record-breaking $2 trillion valuation for its expected November IPO, even as its prospectus reveals staggering losses, soaring infrastructure costs, and warnings from CEO Dario Amodei that the technology could pose an existential risk to humanity. Plus, Canada earned a passing—but far from glowing—grade from the global anti-financial crime watchdog, avoiding the dreaded grey list while facing persistent weaknesses in prosecuting money laundering and regulating financial institutions. And in The Big Picture: LNG Canada approves a $33 billion expansion, Canada’s economy flatlines in July, Saskatchewan unveils plans for two nuclear reactors, the U.S. bans $1 billion worth of Canadian goods, Oura delays its IPO, Bell and Cisco team up on sovereign AI infrastructure, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Toronto-based Biossil has become Canada’s newest AI unicorn after raising US$153 million in a round led by OpenAI, betting that artificial intelligence can find new uses for drugs that failed in late-stage clinical trials — and potentially turn pharmaceutical castoffs into medical breakthroughs. Plus, luxury brands like Prada, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton are spending millions to take their wealthiest customers on exclusive trips and experiences, as a slowdown among aspirational shoppers pushes the industry to focus on the small group of buyers who account for an outsized share of sales. And in The Big Picture: Nvidia launches a tool to rein in rogue AI agents, Canada’s competition watchdog investigates grocery pricing policies, SpaceX sends its massive Starship rocket into orbit, Stelco lays off 350 workers, the FBI offers a US$1 million reward in the Nijjar case, the U.S. and China remove tariffs on billions in goods, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

OpenAI has paused training on its most powerful models as it and Anthropic investigate tens of thousands of incidents involving rogue agents bypassing safeguards, escaping sandboxes, and taking actions they were never instructed to perform — raising fresh questions about whether even the industry’s top labs can reliably control frontier AI. Plus, China’s Geely has unveiled an EV battery that can charge from 10% to 70% in just four and a half minutes, giving Chinese automakers another edge over North American and European rivals as Canada’s battery sector struggles with delays and cancelled projects. And in The Big Picture: British police foil an alleged terrorist plot targeting a U.S. air base, Boeing faces scrutiny over a new 737 MAX software glitch, U.S.–Iran talks are set to resume, Apple is ordered to pay a record patent award, McDonald’s rolls out an AI drive-thru bot, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Three of the world’s biggest AI companies are forming their own safety group to set standards for frontier models, as a string of rogue-agent hacking incidents raises pressure on the industry to prove it can control the technology it is building. Plus, Empire has reached a legally binding deal to end property controls in its leases, opening more retail space to rival grocers and removing one barrier to competition — even if it won’t bring down grocery prices overnight. And in The Big Picture: Mark Carney says Canada’s shift away from the U.S. will outlast Donald Trump, Trump and Xi signal warmer relations, Cohere and Bell launch an AI cybersecurity model, Starbucks closes more locations, Flock Safety considers a sale, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

LinkedIn is rolling out new tools to crack down on fake identities, bogus work histories, and invented credentials, including a feature that lets former colleagues and classmates vouch for one another and a way for companies to flag people falsely claiming employment. Plus, Cineplex has named Bill Walker as its new CEO and launched a strategic review that could lead to a sale, as a resurgent box office draws interest from foreign theatre chains and puts Canada’s dominant cinema operator in play. And in The Big Picture: Canada’s population growth falls to its slowest pace in more than a century, Meta reportedly uses human contractors to complete tasks for its Muse AI agent, Health Canada suspends a Grifols plasma collection site, the U.S. weighs a diesel export ban, Narendra Modi plans a trip to Canada, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

BlackBerry’s comeback is shifting into high gear with a landmark US$100 million-plus deal for its new automotive software, a bet that the former smartphone giant can turn its foothold in connected vehicles into a much bigger business. Plus, Canadian defence accelerator Vimy Forge is teaming up with Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District to help startups navigate the costly, complicated process of selling to the military as Ottawa ramps up defence spending. And in The Big Picture: B.C. Premier David Eby calls a snap election, Ottawa offers Indigenous groups a stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline, OpenAI brings in outside evaluators to test model safety earlier, the U.S. plans new military bases in Greenland, Apple eyes a screenless fitness tracker, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Canada is rallying middle powers and developing countries around a new coalition aimed at strengthening cooperation on security, trade, AI, and global challenges — the latest step in Mark Carney’s push to build alliances that don’t revolve around Washington. Plus, Greek discount retailer Jumbo is opening its first Canadian store in Vaughan, joining a wave of international bargain chains betting that cost-conscious shoppers are hungry for more budget-friendly options. And in The Big Picture: Ottawa moves to fast-track major projects, B.C. sues OpenAI over its handling of violent ChatGPT conversations, Canada’s military taps domestic AI companies, U.S. states clear a hurdle for the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Newfoundland’s film and television industry is booming as Netflix’s Below becomes the latest Hollywood production to shoot in the province, bringing jobs, local spending, and the potential for a major tourism boost. Plus, Parliament returns with the Carney government preparing to fast-track major projects and overhaul federal labour laws — ambitious moves that could accelerate investment while provoking pushback from unions, Indigenous groups, environmental advocates, and local communities. And in The Big Picture: airport privatization could raise travel costs, Canada and France deepen their space partnership, European intelligence officials warn of a possible Russian attack on NATO territory, New Brunswick adds AI literacy to its school curriculum, Google’s Gemini reportedly breaks containment, tensions rise between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, Germany’s AfD wins another state election, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Mark Carney lays out a bold vision for a new Canada–EU alliance — from seamless digital trade and critical minerals cooperation to shared AI safety protocols and sovereign compute. We’ll break down what “sovereignty” really means in this context, why Europe seems newly open to deeper partnership, and how Washington could respond. Then, daylight saving time edges closer to extinction: Manitoba joins a growing list of provinces and territories moving to permanent time, and with the U.S. debating a similar shift, Ontario and Quebec could be next. We dig into the real reasons DST has stuck around, and what the research says about the health and productivity costs of changing the clocks. Plus in The Big Picture: OpenAI flags concerning model behavior, EDC argues Canada needs more domestic processing to boost exports, and Stellantis labor tensions rise. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

Canada’s AI champion Cohere moves to scale up and stake its claim in “sovereign AI” by finalizing merger terms with Germany’s Aleph Alpha — a deal that could reshape the AI landscape. Plus, Salesforce launches an AI shopping agent as “agentic” commerce heats up and brands race to get recommended by chatbots. Also in the Big Picture: talk of Canada becoming the EU’s first “associate member,” the US Fed hikes rates for the first time in three years, and the projected cost of Alberta separation. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

In today’s episode of The Peak Daily, Jay breaks down Ottawa’s new “Productivity Mega Deduction” and what it could mean for major projects like pipelines, mines, data centres, and infrastructure. Then, Airbnb launches a $250M fund to help stalled multi-family rentals cross the finish line — amid ongoing debate over short-term rentals’ impact on housing affordability. Plus, in The Big Picture: Canada’s biggest airports open to private investment, Nvidia and Salesforce introduce a reasoning model built for business tasks, OpenAI explores Canada for future data centre partnerships, and more. New episodes daily — business news in under 10 minutes. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

The first day of Canada’s Investment Summit brought a wave of new commitments from banks, investors, and businesses, offering early signs that Ottawa’s push to unlock as much as $1 trillion in capital may be gaining momentum — even if most of the pledges aren’t binding. Plus, Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez and a Chinese state-backed newspaper are pushing back against calls from Silicon Valley’s biggest AI companies to slow development, arguing that safety concerns could be used to entrench dominant firms and constrain their competitors. And in The Big Picture: Canada’s annual inflation rate holds at 3%, Africa’s largest-ever IPO is set to make Aliko Dangote even richer, Google adds AI-powered protections for Canadian minors, companies race to trademark “Elbows Up,” Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Raptors is finalized, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com

AI’s biggest companies are pledging to slow the development of frontier models and open their systems to independent evaluators, an unprecedented attempt to keep increasingly powerful technology from outrunning the industry’s ability to control it. Plus, Mark Carney’s Canada Investment Summit will pitch more than 160 energy and infrastructure projects to hundreds of global investors, testing Ottawa’s plan to unlock up to $1 trillion in capital and kick-start a Canadian investment boom. And in The Big Picture: Donald Trump signals a Canada-U.S. trade deal could be close, Sweden’s centre-left bloc wins the parliamentary election, attacks shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline, Texas halts approvals for new data centres, Canadian boxing legend George Chuvalo dies at 89, and more. The Peak Daily is produced in partnership with reframevid.com