Author: Editor

I was born and raised in Ottawa, and aside from a handful of vacations abroad and summer road trips to nearby Canadian cities, it’s where I spent almost all of my time.Most of my family lives there, and the relatives who don’t are only a few hours away. Growing up, the path modeled to me was pretty straightforward: Stay close to home, take vacations when you can, and build your life nearby.As I got older, though, I felt a growing need to see what else was out there. I was also feeling the pressure of rising costs in Canada, and…

A federal judge appeared inclined to extend his block on President Donald Trump’s ban on three media outlets from the White House.The administration’s argument that the ban was based on national security concerns is contradicted by the president’s own words, US District Judge Timothy Kelly said during a hearing Thursday.”That’s an uphill climb,” Kelly said of the Justice Department’s effort to defend the ban on national security grounds, noting Trump’s claim that his ban was based on his disapproval of the outlets’ coverage.Kelly is weighing whether to grant a lengthier block of Trump’s move to ban POLITICO, CNN, and MS…

David Ellison is celebrating in style after completing Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery merger, forming media giant Skydance.Ellison and his leadership team rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday morning in New York’s Financial District, days after addressing staff on Skydance’s first day.I’ve closely followed the Paramount-WBD saga for nearly a year including:So when I saw Ellison and company ring the bell on Wall Street, it felt like a symbolic way to close this chapter of Skydance’s story — even though the real action is just beginning.While Skydance executives were in celebration mode on Thursday, they…

Julia Flesher Koch, the widow of billionaire industrialist David Koch, is one of the richest women in the world.Forbes estimated that Koch and her family were worth $84.6 billion in 2026, making her the third-richest woman in the world.She inherited her fortune from her husband, David Koch, who died at age 79. At the time, Forbes ranked him among the 20 richest people in the world.Flesher Koch is now a philanthropist and has more recently ventured into sports ownership. Here’s a look at Flesher Koch’s life, real estate, and finances. Julia Flesher Koch’s billionaire husband died in August 2019. Julia…

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores wave after his swearing-in ceremony for a third term at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 10, 2025. Ariana Cubillos/AP hide caption toggle caption i Ariana Cubillos/AP NEW YORK — U.S. authorities charged former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with conspiring to torture his fellow citizens in order to maintain his hold on power. The new indictment, unsealed Thursday, adds pressure on the ousted authoritarian leader already fighting drug trafficking offenses. Maduro, who was previously charged with participating in a conspiracy to send cocaine into the U.S., is now also…

Fears of AI-driven job loss loom over the professional services industry, but at EY, depending on where you work, you needn’t worry.The Big Four consulting and accounting firm reported on Thursday that it added nearly 10,000 jobs globally in its 2026 financial year, as revenue from AI-related services surged almost 50%.The rise in head count brings EY’s workforce to 415,000. Much of that rise was concentrated in a category that EY calls its global entities, which added more than 10,000 staff. The group, also known as EY’s global delivery services, includes its offshoring centers.In the firm’s Americas division, the workforce…

Student-loan borrowers are facing delays in a major forgiveness program.Borrowers pursuing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program have reported delays in seeing payments made over the past few months count toward their progress. PSLF forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments,Affected borrowers said they made their 120th payment and are waiting for their relief to be processed. A notice one borrower received from Federal Student Aid, reviewed by Business Insider, said that payment counts on the dashboard “have been temporarily paused due to data issues causing count fluctuations.””Payment counts are currently static, and…

Pepsi is losing its fizz.Sales volumes in PepsiCo’s North American soft drinks business fell 2% during the company’s third quarter, it said on Thursday. The company also cut its sales growth forecast for the fourth quarter.”We do not feel good about the beverage business,” CEO Ramon Laguarta said on the company’s earnings call.The soda slowdown is the latest indication that many consumers are spending more carefully. US consumer sentiment recently dipped below pandemic levels as wages have failed to keep up with inflation. Rising interest rates could end up stretching consumers even more.The consumer pullback showed up in PepsiCo’s results.…

Skydance co-CEO David Ellison told CNBC on Thursday — days after Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery officially closed — that the combined company is “positioned to win in every single vertical that we operate in.” Skydance includes film studios Paramount and Warner Bros.; the CBS broadcast network; a sprawling pay TV portfolio that includes CNN, TNT, MTV and BET; and streaming services Paramount+ and HBO Max.”By combining Paramount and Warner Bros, we have the greatest content engine,” Ellison said, noting blockbuster intellectual property and a strong sports portfolio. “You’re immediately getting to scale in streaming between HBO Max and…

Bottles and packs of Pepsi soda at a store in Austin, Texas, US, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Sergio Flores | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesPepsiCo on Thursday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, fueled by international growth as its North American business continues to lag.With one quarter left in 2026, the company also lowered its forecast for its full-year earnings. Pepsi expects core earnings per share to increase 2.5% to 3.5%, down from its previous projection of the low end of a range from 5% to 7%. It is also now projecting net revenue growth of about 6%, on…