Sleepin' it off

If it wasn’t clear that they don’t make cartoons like they used to, consider The Drunk Stork. That bird was so loaded he could never deliver a baby to the right home. He also wasn’t the only Looney Tune who was three sheets to the wind 🤪

The stork should’ve traded three sheets for one with a high thread count. That way, he’d get a nice sleep. Or would he? The experts have weighed in, and thread count isn’t really the best measure for sheet quality. 

Want sweet dreams? Ask these guys ;)

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

IN THE NEWS

Trump becomes top election issue

U.S. president Donald Trump is right where he likes to be: top of mind for a plurality of Canadians who were polled by Nanos about their number one concern heading into the April 28 federal election.

As reported yesterday, inflation was unseated for the first time in years as Canadians’ issue of highest import. 36% of those surveyed by Nanos said Trump and the way Canadian leaders handle his trade war will have the greatest influence on how they vote. 29% said the economy, though it’s difficult to fully distinguish between the two at this stage.

“If you mess up on a response to Donald Trump, or what you think he’s just said, it could be completely devastating for a federal party leader,” said head of Nanos Research, Nik Nanos.

So what have those leaders been saying?

“Trump wants to break us, so America can own us. We will not let that happen,” said Liberal Leader Mark Carney Monday at a campaign stop in Gander, N.L.

At a stop in Brampton, Ont., Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre demanded Trump “knock it off” with the “unjustified threats.”

“The only way to make that happen is to reject a fourth Liberal term and elect a new Conservative government that puts Canada first.”

ECONOMY

Weaker American dollar boosting Canadian stocks

One of the lesser covered but certainly possible explanations for U.S. president Donald Trump’s trade war is that he wants to weaken the U.S. dollar. It’s not a particularly wise move, according to most economists, but looking at it from Trump’s possible perspective, it would be a potential avenue one might go down to stimulate American exports to balance trade surpluses/deficits.

The greenback has slipped 2.3% in the month of March, which has in turn led to the soaring price of gold. This inverse relationship has held true for 77% of the time over the last 47 years, according to CIBC.

In fact, gold cracked US$3,000 for the first time ever last week, and the TSX has been an incidental beneficiary of the rally.

“The reality is that the Canadian index has become the ‘home’ for gold companies, whether they be explorers, producers or the royalty companies – and regardless of the location of their mines,” said CIBC analyst Ian de Verteuil, who noted nearly 10% of the TSX is currently comprised of gold-related securities.

The greenback may be weakening, but the loonie is also not doing too well these days. In response, the money pouring into the TSX from safe-haven-seekers this year has helped the Toronto exchange outperform the S&P/500.

HEALTH

AI predicts premature death for IBD patients

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), also known as Crohn’s or colitis, is a condition in which the lining of the gastrointestinal tract is inflamed, interfering with the body’s ability to digest food and absorb nutrients.

A new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal used AI to analyze over 9,000 people who died between 2010 and 2020 with IBD, and found half of them died prematurely (before 75).

It also found those who died prematurely were most likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic condition before turning 61, including high blood pressure, arthritis, kidney failure, mental health issues, or cancer.

Senior author Dr. Eric Benchimol, a pediatric gastroenterologist, says it appears the likelihood of fatality rises when these conditions are present at the same time as IBD.

“I think what’s important here is that we need to be aware that it can’t be a gastroenterologist working in isolation anymore,” he said. “We really need to be aware of all of these other things that are happening to the people with IBD, and try to get them a system of co-ordinated care.”

WHAT UP WEDNESDAYS

Holding out for an eclipse

Get ready to crank some Bonnie Tyler, Stakers.

On March 29, millions in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States will wake up to a total partial eclipse of the sun, just two weeks after a total lunar eclipse blanketed all of North America.

It will be the first solar eclipse in North America since April 8 of last year, when the moon completely covered the sun on a path that cut diagonally across the continent—the last of its kind for 20 years.

On Saturday, 93% of the solar disc will be covered by the moon, though most of the near-total eclipse will only be visible from northern Quebec. 85% of the Sun will be covered in eastern Quebec, New Brunswick, and northern Maine, with the shadow shrinking the further south you are along the eastern seaboard. For example, only 11% of the Sun will be covered in Philadelphia, and 1% in Washington, D.C.

Experts strongly advise anyone trying to catch a glimpse to wear certified solar eclipse glasses while looking at it, given the retinal damage that can be caused by staring at the Sun without them.

The next total solar eclipse to pass over any part of North America will occur in March of 2033, though you’ll have to go to Alaska to see it. Following that, it won’t be until Aug. 2044 that the path of totality will pass over north and northwest Canada, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, and the Dakotas.

TECH

Protecting your 23andMe data

23andMe reportedly has 15 million customers worldwide, and each of them are probably wondering what’s going to happen to their data now that firm is filing for bankruptcy to facilitate a sale.

The company was founded in 2006 to provide customers with at-home DNA testing kits to allow them to gather insights about health risks and their ancestry.

Its privacy policy says it won’t share any data with employers, businesses, law enforcement, or other interested parties without being legally compelled to do so. At the same time, the policy also says it can be changed at any time, including after—let’s say—a sale.

“Even if the company wants the data to be protected, once the data moves into the hands of another company, the original owners of 23andMe won’t really have a huge say in what happens to the data any longer,” says Katie Hammond, an associate professor of law at Toronto Metropolitan University.

“A company that takes over may not have good data security, in which case there could be a possibility of a breach, or it could also potentially do different things with the data, such as share it, which will put consumers at risk.”

Legal experts, including California’s attorney general, have advised customers invoke their rights and instruct 23andMe to destroy their data and delete their accounts if they’re concerned about their privacy.

You can click here for detailed instructions on how to do so.

CURIOSITIES

Swiss town prescribes museum visits for therapy

A 2019 report published by the World Health Organization found the arts have a peculiar way of boosting mental health that other avenues may lack.

The Swiss town of Neuchâtel is taking the report seriously, offering to cover the cost of “museum prescriptions” issued by doctors for residents to visit one of the town’s four museums if the doctor thinks it will help a patient’s mental wellbeing.

Neuchâtel city councillor Julie Courcier says the closure of artistic outlets during the pandemic and the indirect effects such closures may have had on the collective mental wellbeing served partly as a motivation for the program.

Stake recently covered a study that suggested group art activities can delay and possibly prevent cognitive decline in older adults. The WHO study suggested the same, which found that, on top of boosting mental health, it can "reduce the impact of trauma and lower the risk of cognitive decline, frailty and ‘premature mortality.’”

The museum prescriptions in Neuchâtel are part of a two-year pilot program, intended in part simply to get patients to exercise and get out of the house, but also to help surround them with aesthetic beauty and joy while doing so.

MUSIC

Elton John advises musicians play live and play often

Elton John, who turned 78 yesterday, has been a live musician for 60-or-so years and knows a thing or two about what it takes to set oneself apart and maintain authenticity as an up-and-coming artist, especially in today’s musical environment.

Long story short, “keep playing live” as much as possible, he told Rolling Stone UK.

“That’s the way you improve as a musician and songwriter. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing to 40 people,” he said. “The more experience you get playing to nobody, the better. Because when I played in Musicology [sic], we played to hardly anybody sometimes.”

He said that despite the way musicians can become famous and build a following on social media today without ever actually playing live, the only way to maintain one’s musicianship and—perhaps more importantly—confidence is to play live.

“That experience stood me in great stead for when I became Elton John because I had backbone,” John noted. “And backbone is so important, because the worst thing that can happen to you in the industry are things like X Factor and instant fame on television, where you have no experience of playing live. You get put on stage, you go, and you can’t do it. That’s the worst thing. American Idol—just the worst.”

STAKE TRIVIA

Birthday mayhem

If you were excited to learn yesterday that Elton John and Aretha Franklin share a birthday, you won’t believe the range of famous people who were born today!

From Diana Ross to Martin Short, the list goes on and on. Curious who else was born on March 26th? Find out with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow—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.