Finance

Canada's Finance Minister Issues Warning of Near-Term Economic Challenges

Canada is facing short-term economic turbulence linked to the impact of former President Trump’s trade policies, particularly the risk of tariff-driven inflation, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Thursday. Speaking from Washington, D.C., during the IMF and World Bank spring meetings, Champagne noted that global officials are closely watching for signs that U.S. trade measures are slowing growth. He declined to speculate on whether Canada will enter a technical recession but emphasized that “everyone is on watch.”

TECH

California Museum Explores the Double-Edged Nature of Technology

On a gray morning at the Computer History Museum, a Google-colored bike parked near the entrance hinted at the museum’s deep roots in Silicon Valley. These bikes, used by Google employees to navigate the tech giant’s sprawling 42-acre campus just across the street, underscore the tight geographic and cultural ties between the museum and the tech world.

Inside, a donor board featuring the names of prominent tech figures stands near the museum’s latest exhibit, “Chatbots Decoded: Exploring A.I.” The exhibit opens with a panel that frames artificial intelligence as both awe-inspiring and unsettling—a continuation of humanity’s long fascination with talking machines. Display cases feature carnival-era mechanical “speakers” and vintage books imagining robotic futures.

Beyond the opening panels, visitors catch sight of Ameca, a hyper-realistic humanoid robot with a head and torso perched on a pedestal. Its expressive eyes seem to follow people around the room. When I approached and asked it to rap about computing history, it responded with a rhythmic verse: “Apple with its bytes so bright, personal computing taking flight. IBM joined the fight, turning data into insights overnight.”

CRYPTO

Massive Crypto Heist Ends Quickly: Suspects Nabbed Within a Month

On the warm afternoon of August 25, 2024, Sushil and Radhika Chetal were touring homes in an affluent Danbury, Connecticut neighborhood known for its manicured lawns and luxury pools. Sushil, a Morgan Stanley vice president, was behind the wheel of a matte gray Lamborghini Urus—a high-end SUV starting at around $240,000—when their outing took a violent turn. As they rounded a corner, a white Honda Civic slammed into them from behind while a white Ram ProMaster van cut them off in front, boxing them in.

According to a criminal complaint filed afterward, six masked men in black clothing leapt from the two vehicles. They dragged the couple out of the Lamborghini and toward the van’s open side door. When Sushil tried to resist, he was beaten with a baseball bat and threatened with death. The attackers bound both victims’ arms and legs with duct tape. Radhika, struggling to breathe due to asthma, was forced to lie face down and ordered not to look at her attackers. Sushil was struck again, his face wrapped in duct tape, as the van sped away.

Several bystanders witnessed the assault and immediately called 911.