Unusual Whales

Immigration is making Canada's housing more expensive

Immigration is making Canada's housing more expensive, per CBC. Canada’s population growth from immigration is causing rents to surge in its biggest cities, per Bloomberg. They showed this figure: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government plans to welcome 465,000 new permanent residents this year, and increase

Florida's House passed a bill that would limit youth access to social media by banning new and existing accounts of users younger than 16 years old

Florida's House passed a bill that would limit youth access to social media by banning new and existing accounts of users younger than 16 years old, per Axios. The legislative proposal, known as HB 1, secured passage on Wednesday with a vote of 106-13, with a partial opposition

"Buy now, pay later helped fuel record holiday spending online, surging 14% year over year, but now that those bills are coming due, consumers aren’t sure how they’ll pay them"

"Buy now, pay later helped fuel record holiday spending online, surging 14% year over year, but now that those bills are coming due, consumers aren’t sure how they’ll pay them," per CNBC. In an era defined by persistent inflation and unprecedented interest rates, the "buy

US is planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years as the threat from Russia increase

US is planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years as the threat from Russia increase, per the Telegraph. The U.S. plans to store nuclear warheads, potentially three times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, at the RAF Lakenheath air base, as

Yellen has said Americans do believe that inflation is under control

Yellen has said Americans do believe that inflation is under control, per Bloomberg. "Inflation is currently at some of the lowest levels observed in that survey," Yellen mentioned on Thursday, likely referring to inflation expectations from the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey. She expressed the belief that

Bill Ackman and his wife Neri Oxman buy 5% of the main stock exchange in Israel for roughly $17 million

Bill Ackman and his wife Neri Oxman buy 5% of the main stock exchange in Israel for roughly $17 million, per Bloomberg. This marks Ackman's initial significant investment in Israel since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange

Amazon, $AMZN, says it will stop letting police directly ask people for video from the company's Ring doorbell or home security cameras

Amazon, $AMZN, says it will stop letting police directly ask people for video from the company's Ring doorbell or home security cameras, per AFP. Ring, the home security company owned by Amazon, is set to disable its Request For Assistance tool next week. This program allowed law enforcement

MSFT Microsoft to lay Off 1,900 Activision Blizzard And Xbox Employees

MSFT Microsoft to lay Off 1,900 Activision Blizzard And Xbox Employees per the Verge See full article: https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/25/24049050/microsoft-activision-blizzard-layoffs Microsoft Gaming is embarking on a restructuring initiative that will see a reduction of approximately 1,900 roles, constituting about 8% of the

Business Insider is set to layoff almost 10% of its workforce

Business Insider is set to layoff almost 10% of its workforce, per Bloomberg. Business Insider, the news website, is set to undergo a workforce reduction of approximately 8%, according to CEO Barbara Peng. This move aligns with recent layoffs in the tech and media sector, which has been facing challenges

Vladimir Putin is seeking to signal the US that he's open to talks about ending Russia's war in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin is seeking to signal the US that he's open to talks about ending Russia's war in Ukraine, per Bloomberg. He has indirectly reached out to the United States to signal his willingness for discussions, possibly including future security arrangements for Ukraine, as per two

The Federal Reserve raises rate on emergency loan program to stop arbitrage

The Federal Reserve has increased the rate on loans to banks issued through its Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), an emergency lending initiative launched last year. The move comes as borrowing under the program surged recently, with institutions taking advantage of favorable financing terms. The BTFP, introduced during the regional

Houthis in Yemen have claimed to have directly hit a US ship

Houthis in Yemen have claimed to have directly hit a US ship, per AP. Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for targeting an American warship in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab strait, as stated in a video release by the group's spokesperson. The Houthi

Jon Stewart will return to "The Daily Show" as its executive producer and host on Monday evenings through the 2024 election cycle

Jon Stewart will return to "The Daily Show" as its executive producer and host on Monday evenings through the 2024 election cycle, per Axios. Jon Stewart, who hosted The Daily Show for 16 years before stepping down in 2015, is set to make a return to the program

U.S. mortgage demand jumps 10% as rates fall across the board

U.S. mortgage demand jumps 10% as rates fall across the board, per MW. A decline in rates has fueled increased demand for home buying and refinancing, as indicated by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The overall market composite index, serving as a gauge for mortgage application volume, witnessed a

Renting a three-bedroom home is cheaper than owning one in 90% of the US

Renting a three-bedroom home is cheaper than owning one in 90% of the U.S., per ATTOM. Meanwhile, areas where owning is more affordable than renting include Riverside County, Calif., and Detroit. A recent report from Attom, examining the cost of renting versus owning three-bedroom homes across various U.S.

Coinbase, $COIN, said buying cryptocurrency on an exchange was more like collecting Beanie Babies than investing in a stock or bond

Coinbase, $COIN, said buying cryptocurrency on an exchange was more like collecting Beanie Babies than investing in a stock or bond, per Bloomberg. Coinbase has presented arguments for the dismissal of a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lawsuit alleging the sale of unregistered securities. William Savitt, a Coinbase lawyer, asserted

Blackstone’s, $BX, defaulted NYC office tower loan up for sale at a 50% discount

Blackstone’s, $BX, defaulted NYC office tower loan up for sale at a 50% discount. The $308 million mortgage tied to a Manhattan office tower owned by Blackstone Inc. is once again on the market following the private equity giant's default on the debt over a year ago.

Netflix, $NFLX, is to taking away its cheapest ad-free plan, the Basic Netflix subscription that costs $11.99

Netflix, $NFLX, is to taking away its cheapest ad-free plan, the Basic Netflix subscription that costs $11.99, per the Verge. Netflix has ceased allowing new or returning members to enroll in the ad-free Basic subscription, which was priced at $11.99 per month. While unveiling its latest earnings results,

Alaska Airlines CEO: We found 'many' loose bolts on our Boeing, $BA, Max 9s following near-disaster

Alaska Airlines CEO: We found 'many' loose bolts on our Boeing, $BA, Max 9s following near-disaster, per NBC. In an exclusive interview with Tom Costello, senior correspondent at NBC News, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci expressed his frustration and disappointment over the findings from the company's

JPMorgan, $JPM, raises CEO Dimon's pay 4.3% to $36 million for 2023

JPMorgan, $JPM, raises CEO Dimon's pay 4.3% to $36 million for 2023, per Bloomberg. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, saw a 4.3% increase in his compensation for 2023, reaching $36 million, as disclosed by the bank on Thursday. This rise follows his $34.5

About 14% of all commercial real estate loans and 44% of loans on office buildings appear to be in “negative equity,” meaning the debt is now greater than the property value

About 14% of all commercial real estate loans and 44% of loans on office buildings appear to be in “negative equity,” meaning the debt is now greater than the property value, per the NAR. The US national office vacancy rate is at an all time at 19.6%, per Moody&

Billions of dollars of debt will fall due this year on hundreds of big US office buildings that their owners are likely to struggle to refinance at current interest rates

Billions of dollars of debt will fall due this year on hundreds of big US office buildings that their owners are likely to struggle to refinance at current interest rates, per FT. The US national office vacancy rate is at an all time at 19.6%, per Moody's.

60% surveyed say they're now "triggered" by trips to the grocery store due to inflation

60% surveyed say they're now "triggered" by trips to the grocery store due to inflation, per Axios. A pound of ground beef now costs $5.23 on average, up from $3.89 in January 2020, and prices for fresh fruits and vegetables are nearly 14% higher,

45% of real estate agents claim they're struggling to pay rent in November

45% of real estate agents claim they're struggling to pay rent in November, per Alignable. The latest data reveals a 5% increase in pending home sales from October, marking a 10% rise compared to September. The study, involving realtors, indicates that the persistently high interest rates, with the

US National debt hits $34 trillion

The gross national debt of the federal government has now surpassed $34 trillion, reaching a record high and signaling future challenges for America's fiscal health. The U.S. Treasury Department released a report on Tuesday, highlighting the nation's financial situation amid political divisions in Washington, raising