Nothing but a dreamer

If there’s one thing we know about Fred Flintstone, it’s that he loved to nap. Except for that time he dreamt he overslept by 20 years. Rip Van Flintstone’s beard grew so long, Wilma didn’t recognize him until she lifted it up and saw his unmistakeable belly.

We all love a quick snooze, but it can impact the rest of your day (and night). The art of napping is tricky. There’s a science to it and knowing when to catch some winks and for how long are essential for nailing the perfect nap.

You weave what you sow ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card!)

IN THE NEWS

Canadians consider this election most important ever

According to a survey conducted last week by Nanos Research, Canadians overwhelmingly believe the April 28 federal election is more important than any other election before it.

Roughly 86% of respondents shared that sentiment, with the number rising to almost 90% in BC and Ontario.

“Canadians are clearly focused on the election and the choices before them,” said Nik Nanos, chief data scientist at Nanos Research.

They’re also particularly focused on the leaders of the parties, as opposed to the parties themselves or specific policy preferences. The survey found 39% of Canadians will be voting specifically with the party leader in mind, while 24% said they’d be voting based on party preference, and 15% based on policy preference.

Today marks exactly three weeks until election day, as Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney get ready for the final stretch under perhaps the strangest electoral circumstances in recent memory.

HEALTH

Canadian researcher recognized for GLP-1 work

Dr. Daniel Drucker was awarded a 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his discovery of the GLP-1 hormone that’s used in diabetes and weight loss drugs like WeGovy and Ozempic.

Drucker researches endocrinology at the University of Toronto, and says he spent 40 years in his profession studying the GLP-1 hormone to understand what role it plays in weight loss and insulin production.

The prize is worth US$3 million and is split between Drucker and three other colleagues that worked with him from the very beginning of the tests and experiments that ultimately led to one of the most revolutionary and often life-saving drugs now on the market for general use.

“We have students and trainees and awards like this tell them that the world is watching and thinks the work is meritorious. And I think that’s just great for morale and for young people,” he said.

Drucker noted that the latest research on GLP-1 drugs suggests they may also be effective in reducing heart attacks, strokes, and death as a result of cardiovascular disease.

MONEY MONDAYS

Canada’s retaliatory auto tariffs

The latest development in what is now a full-fledged global trade war happened just before the weekend with Mark Carney imposing 25% retaliatory auto tariffs on American cars that aren’t compliant with the United States Mexico Canada Agreement.

If a car’s parts aren’t at least 75% sourced in North America, it’s not compliant with USMCA and is therefore subject to Canada’s retaliatory tariffs. Autos imported from the United States that are comprised of at least 75% North American parts will be exempt.

In an Ottawa speech, Carney said these particular tariffs would likely generate about $8 billion annually, a sum he committed to distributing to workers and businesses that are suffering financially due to the trade war.

“In the year I was born, Canada and the United States signed the auto pact agreement that ended auto tariffs between our nations and began a 60-year period … of close co-operation, partnership, job growth and prosperity in that era,” Carney said.

“That era has now ended, unless the United States and Canada can agree on a new comprehensive approach.”

The deeply integrated North American auto industry is likely to suffer major blows should these tariffs be imposed long-term. Manufacturers on both sides of the border have already begun laying people off while temporarily closing certain plants.

MEDICINE

World’s smallest pacemaker

Engineers at Northwestern University developed a pacemaker so tiny, it can fit inside the tip of a syringe and be a placed inside the patient in what the researchers describe as a non-invasive injection.

It’s smaller than a grain of rice and connects with a wearable device the person keeps mounted on their chest. If the device determines the person’s heart is beating irregularly, it will send pulses of light through the skin and chest plate directly to the world’s smallest pacemaker to activate it and return the heart beat’s proper tempo.

“Our major motivation was children,” said Northwestern experimental cardiologist Igor Efimov, who co-led the study. “About 1% of children are born with congenital heart defects—regardless of whether they live in a low-resource or high-resource country.”

“The good news is that these children only need temporary pacing after a surgery. In about seven days or so, most patients’ hearts will self-repair. But those seven days are absolutely critical. Now, we can place this tiny pacemaker on a child’s heart and stimulate it with a soft, gentle, wearable device. And no additional surgery is necessary to remove it.”

CURIOSITIES

Looking for a penthouse? Here’s the skinny

80 storeys or 1,428 feet above W 57th Street across from Central Park in Manhattan sits the first floor of the four that make up the penthouse suite of the world’s skinniest skyscraper.

The “quadplex” penthouse features five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two terraces, and a full 360 degree view of the island of Manhattan from the almost exact centre of the city.

The building itself has a height-to-width ratio of 24:1, making it the the skinniest building of its height in the world.

Its design was inspired by New York’s Gilded Age of affluence. Extreme wealth graced many of the city’s inhabitants in the late 19th century, precipitating the city’s rapid growth not just outwards, but upwards.

On top of the Steinway Tower’s harkening back to NYC’s Gilded Age, its exterior is also designed so that the facade appears to change shape and colour throughout the day as the sun hits it from different angles throughout.

The building is the latest gem to spawn from the streets of Midtown Manhattan before kissing the sky like so many before it.

If you just adore a penthouse view like the one we mentioned above—it’s just come on the market. Care to make an offer? All you’ll need is $110 million.

MUSIC

New Prince music coming soon

Chaka Khan announced that a full album of unreleased material she and Prince wrote together is finally set to be released.

It’s unclear exactly what prevented the record from being shared with the public for so long, but Khan alluded to a bunch of “red tape hurdles” finally being cleared. There was likely a spat between her and Prince’s estate, which oversees and authorizes (or doesn’t) the use of the Purple One’s music and basically all Prince-related intellectual property.

Chaka also mentioned she and Prince worked with bassist Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone while writing and recording the soon-to-be-released archival tunes.

“Prince just grabbed ideas out of the air and left you wondering: ‘Where did you get that?’ He was a really deep and beautiful thinker,” she said.

“We worked on a lot of songs, and they’re all going to be on a CD I’m soon to release – there’s a lot of red tape that’s been in the way, but we’ve cleared it. It’s him and me and Larry Graham, together.”

COMMUNITY

Have you lost a furry friend?

For some pet owners, losing a furry friend can be as challenging as losing a human loved one. If you’re struggling with pet loss grief, you might want to attend on online webinar, Pets, Death, and Grief, hosted by the Legacy Expo. It’s happening tomorrow evening, Tuesday, April 8 · 7:30 - 8:30pm EDT, and it’s free to attend.

STAKE TRIVIA

For those about to rock

From AC/DC to Led Zeppelin, it’s no surprise that some of the hardest hitting songs have come from the hardest rock bands 🎸 🤘

For those who like it loud and heavy, we salute you—get ready to crank it up with today’s hard rock trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card ;)

Winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon. Keep an eye on your inbox!

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.