One leg at a time

How many times did you swing by the mall and pick up a pair of these iconic jeans? Having the coolest threads in the late ‘70s meant owning a pair of painters’ pants, ideally Lee’s. Comfortable, durable, and good looking, you probably lived in ‘em!

Fast forward to the present, and painters’ pants are making a comeback, at about 20x the price you probably paid. Luxury fashion designer Paul Smith is partnering with Lee to reimagine the painter pants and other retro garb.

Forever in blue ;)

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

IN THE NEWS

Carney reaches out to European partners

Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled overseas on his first foreign trip yesterday, looking to strengthen ties between longtime partners and allies France and the United Kingdom, amid escalating tensions being stoked by American president Donald Trump.

Carney first met with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris , with the two delivering joint remarks ahead of their private conversations.

"We must strengthen our diplomatic ties to address a world that is increasingly unstable and dangerous. Canada is a reliable, trustworthy and strong partner of France, which shares our values and lives them through action, during this age of economic and geopolitical crisis."

Macron cited Canada as a “unique friend” to France, and thanked Carney for his country’s steadfast support since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Afterwards, Carney travelled to London, where he was met by King Charles III for a private audience with His Majesty, before travelling to 10 Downing Street to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"We're at a point in history where the world is being reordered," Carney said in his meeting with Starmer, also noting "security co-operation, which is seamless, is essential," between Canada and the U.K.

Starmer replied, saying, "It doesn't surprise me that our two countries see this through a similar lens, with the same objectives.”

CONSUMER

Consumers done with pandemic era tipping

According to a new survey conducted by H&R Block Canada, 94% of Canadians become annoyed when prompted to tip on a payment machine for a service that didn’t ask for one before the pandemic.

At the same time, 57% feel guilty for not tipping when asked, meaning roughly half of Canadians are frequently caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

“The vast majority appear to have extreme tip fatigue—both with expectations around gratuity amounts and with the extent of services that now prompt for a gratuity,” H&R Block said in a news release.

“This is despite nearly one-in-three Canadians (31%) that have directly worked in a gratuity-based job at some point.”

On top of this, plenty of Canadians work jobs that didn’t previously include gratuity income, meaning plenty are likely unaware that such income is taxable.

“Overall, 84% of Canadians recognize that tips must be declared for tax purposes (whether they are cash, credit or via other payment methods),” said Yannick Lemay, tax expert at H&R Block Canada.

“However, 47% assume that the recipients aren’t declaring their tips when filing their taxes. Conversely, 16% didn’t realize that tips must be declared as taxable income.”

BUSINESS

Hudson’s Bay plans immediate liquidation

Hudson’s Bay Company looks to be running out of runway and announced Friday that it will begin liquidating its entire business this week, pending court approval.

As Canada’s oldest company, The Bay opened in 1670 and is now down to just 80 stores across the country. Liquidation and closing of all stores will result in nearly 10,000 job losses and the death of a once great and powerful brand.

Certain signs have been prevalent for some time now, however. Escalators have been out of service indefinitely, there were recent store closures in the Vancouver area due to non-functioning air conditioners, and several other unfixed problems at locations across the country suggested the company either couldn’t afford to fix them or just didn’t bother.

The company’s fate may have been sealed, however, when it was sold to investment firm NRDC Equity Partners in 2008.

“Investment firms are like house flippers…A house flipper rarely deals with the underlying business issues,” says Joanne McNeish, TMU associate professor in marketing. “Investment companies don’t allow the management team to run businesses. Rather they take their profit, sell on the problems to the next company or break up the company to sell off its assets.”

If approved, the liquidation would see all merchandise at all 80 stores and Saks Off Fifth Avenue affiliates fully sold off, with the stores permanently closed within 12 weeks.

TRAVEL TUESDAYS

London tunnels set to open for tourism

The mile-long network of tunnels beneath Holborn in central London was built between 1940 and 1942 in response to the Blitz, during which German planes bombarded the English capital day and night for eight months.

Because the tunnels weren’t actually done yet, Londoners hid in the subway system to shelter themselves, and by the time the tunnel network was actually finished, the Blitz was over.

Still, they have a deeply emotional history for Britons, including Angus Murray, chief executive of The London Tunnels, which were approved last year for visitors to navigate on guided tours.

They were never used for the purpose they were constructed, but they indeed were used, including as a spy headquarters. James Bond author Ian Fleming worked there in 1944 for naval intelligence, and the tunnels are believed to be the inspiration for Q Branch, where Bond would go to retrieve “specialist equipment.”

In the 1950s and ’60s, the tunnels were used as a telephone exchange, but have been mostly vacant for over 50 years. Murray hopes the $156 million project to open them up to tourists will attract 3 million visitors a year, with costs paid off during the second year of operation.

HEALTH

Ozempic without the nausea

GLP-1-mimicking drugs like WeGovy and Ozempic have been revolutionary in obesity reduction, but taking them often comes with the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) problems, from nausea to gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).

Scientists at Stanford Medicine recently discovered a molecule that has similar effects in appetite reduction and metabolic regulation as GLP-1 on mice and miniature pigs (similar metabolically to humans), but without the GI symptoms associated with semaglutide-based drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy.

Hormones aren’t typically activated until their precursors are “cleaved.” The precursors (called prohormones) are cleaved by certain types of enzymes (prohormone convertases). The researchers analyzed an enzyme called prohormone convertase 1/3, because it’s known to produce GLP-1.

From there, they trained an AI algorithm to look for similar prohormones and enzymes, and found 373 and 2,700, respectively. They tested 100 of the enzymes they knew or believed could affect the brain’s hunger drive, and determined one—called BRP—that had promising potential.

They tested it on the mice and mini pigs, and found it reduced their appetites by up to 50% and triggered significant weight loss in two weeks, without any GI symptoms manifesting.

The study was published in Nature, and the researchers noted the findings are preliminary, but suggest humans could benefit metabolically from this naturally-occurring molecule in pill form.

TECH

Air Pods could soon be translating

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the next iteration of the Apple Air Pods will include a feature that can translate one language into another in real time.

The feature will reportedly be a part of the highly-anticipated iOS 19 operating system, which is expected to be shipped sometime over the next year.

While major Apple updates often get the most hype, it wouldn’t be the first company to offer this particular feature. Google’s Pixel Buds have been offering it since 2017, and and an updated version was released in 2022. Meta and Humane have made their own versions as well, though they’ve gotten fairly poor reviews for inconsistency.

Apple’s will allow a person speaking Spanish, for example, to be heard by the Air Pods and translated to the (for example) English-speaking wearer of the headphones in real time. When that person responds, the Air Pod speakers will play what the wearer is saying in Spanish.

Apple is yet to confirm if this is indeed the experience that users can expect to enjoy, and it announced last week that it’s delaying the delivery of an AI-upgraded Siri, saying it needs more time to get it right.

IN THE KNOW

Here’s what you said

MUSIC

Robert Plant hits the road

Perhaps the greatest frontman of all time, Robert Plant is heading back on the road, taking his Saving Grace project across Europe in May and July.

The tour will consist of 20 dates, beginning in Brussels on May 3 and culminating in Barcelona on July 30. There are currently no stops during the month of June, but the tour could be a precursor to a North American leg this fall.

Saving Grace is a five-piece acoustic act currently consisting of Plant, singer Suzy Dian, guitarists Tony Kelsey and Matt Worley and percussionist Oli Jefferson. Formed in 2019, the band wasn’t able to hit the road until 2021 due to the pandemic, but has toured steadily since.

"My whole deal is entertainment is fine so long as the person that you're entertaining most of all is yourself," Plant said to Rolling Stone in 2022. "I'm a little wary of repetition, and no matter where I play or what I play or how it works, I've got to feel really good about it, because the bird is on the wing. Time is flying by. If I'm going to do this, I've got to get the best out of it that I can."

STAKE TRIVIA

We can all relate…

Whether you knew it or not (and don’t feel awkward if you didn’t 🤣 ) today is National Awkward Moments Day!

To celebrate this goofy occasion, we’re quizzing you on some of pop culture’s most awkward characters and moments from the ’70s and ’80s with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified 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.