Description: Big Tech giant Microsoft wants to grow bigger. Tuesday of last week Microsoft announced it is acquiring video game maker Activision in a cash deal totaling almost $69 billion. Activision’s products offer an advantage to Microsoft in the emerging virtual world. Some U.S. regulators are signalling, however, that they may take a hard look… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Student life
Taxing the Unvaxed
Description: Desperate times call for desperate measures. With unvaccinated citizens having a much higher probability of being hospitalized by contracting Covid-19 than vaccinated citizens, the Government of Quebec responded this week by announcing its intent to begin assessing penalties upon the unvaccinated. Premier Legault said $50 or $100 would not be enough. It remains to… Read more »
Bring Back Pandemic Premium?
Description: Early in the Covid crisis, many lauded grocery strore chains as they cranked up the salaries of front line employees with “Hero Pay.” But the “Hero Pay” premium has all but disappeared, while at the same time grocery chain profits have generated big bonuses for company executives. This has prompted pressure from various voices… Read more »
Good Year for Vinyl
Description: In the music business, 2021 was a good year for Adele; and for vinyl records. Though vinyl accounts for only 2% of U.S. music sales, for the first time since 1991, vinyl outsold CDs as the primary physical medium. Of course, streaming outstrips these older technologies by a huge order of magnitude. Date: January… Read more »
Another Wave
Description: It’s another blow from the Covid crisis hitting us as 2021 winds down This latest wave of the epidemic is causing problems for schools and universities. Exams are being postponed or moved online. Public schools are closing early for the Christmas break. Amid the turmoil comes this news of the need for better ventilation… Read more »
Starbucks Encore?
Description: Last week this blog featured a story of how Starbucks employees in Buffalo unionized the first Starbuck’s location in America. Following quickly on that move came news this week of two locations undertaking similar certification efforts in Boston. Union organizers say they anticipate that Starbucks will respond with anti-union tactics, much as happened in… Read more »
Starbucks Employees Unionize
Description: Starbucks employees in Buffalo have voted to become the first unionized Starbuck’s location in the United States. Former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, views this as symbolic of recent labour force trends, where employees are somewhat emboldened, reconsidering their options in the face of the Covid-19 economic and social trends. Starbucks has been… Read more »
Inflation! Inflation!
Description: Friday the United States released its latest inflation data, showing that prices had climbed 6.8 percent over November 2020 This places inflation at rates not seen in about 40 years. Canadian results are expected to be somewhat similar. Canadians carrying debt need to take a look at their finances in the face of what… Read more »
Sweet News
Description: I suppose you could call it sweet news: the recent announcement that the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) will provide the supply chain with 22.7 million kilograms of its well-known product from its strategic reserve. Quebec dominates the world market for maple syrup, controlling over 70% of global production. QMSP’s reserve is a key part of its supply… Read more »
Watching Those Trades
Description: A Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) allows Canadians to save using a wide variety of investment vehicles. Young investors are finding out, however, that using their TFSAs for frequent trades may draw unwanted attention from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). RBC Direct Investing has advised its users “that TFSAs are registered accounts intended for… Read more »