Category: 3. Business

  • Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons to speak at Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce luncheon

    Saint John (New Brunswick) — The Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the Honourable Steven MacKinnon will highlight federal priorities aimed at strengthening Canada’s transportation system, reinforcing supply chains and supporting the country’s economic growth. Minister MacKinnon will be joined by the Honourable Wayne Long, Secretary of State for the Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions and Member of Parliament for Saint John – Kennebecasis, New Brunswick

    Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2026

    Time: 11:30 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time

    Location:
    Marco Polo Cruise Terminal
    Port Saint John
    Saint John (New Brunswick)

    Notes for media

    • Media representatives wishing to attend are asked to register for this  event by emailing Carole Cunningham, Director of Events and Administration for the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce.
    • Please include “RSVP for January 13 event” in the subject line of the email.

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  • 2025 WMM Annual Report is Released | News

    Last month saw the publication of the 2025 State of the Geomagnetic Field Report. The report details the current state of Earth’s main magnetic field, and provides a performance analysis of the most recent version of the World Magnetic Model (WMM) released in late 2024, known as WMM2025. The report also assesses the performance of the newly developed World Magnetic Model High Resolution (WMMHR2025), a high-resolution version of the model that debuted alongside WMM2025. Comparisons between the predictions of the two models and recent data collected from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Swarm satellites indicate that WMM2025 and WMMHR2025 have proven in their first year of operation to be accurate models.

    Most of our planet’s magnetism originates from the shifting of electrically charged molten metals in its outer core, the behavior of which is unpredictable. An example of the secular changes that these metals can cause is the slow drifting of Earth’s magnetic north pole towards Siberia, a process that has been occurring continuously for the past few decades. As the WMM is predictive in nature, it becomes less accurate over time and must be updated with the newest projections derived from more recently collected data. Updates are scheduled to occur every five years.

    The WMM is a joint project between NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the British Geological Survey (BGS). It is utilized by these agencies’ respective governments for their navigation, attitude, and heading software. In terms of military applications, the WMM proves indispensable for undersea and aircraft navigation as well as parachute deployment, antenna tracking, iceberg drift determination, and many other activities. In the private sector, the model can be found in virtually every smartphone. The Federal Aviation Administration also uses it to rename airport runways so that they accurately reflect their magnetic heading to allow for greater clarity during landing procedures.

    This year’s report contains discussions of the two magnetic poles and their drift speeds. Over the past year, the northern magnetic pole has been traveling at a much faster rate than the southern pole with their average drift speeds measuring 36 km/year and 9 km/year, respectively. The actual locations and drift speeds of the magnetic poles proved to be very close to those predicted by WMM2025 and WMMHR2025, lending further credence to the overall accuracy of the models.

    The South Atlantic Anomaly Grows

    Also described in the State of the Magnetic Field Report is the deepening of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), an area spanning the South Atlantic Ocean and South America where the Earth’s magnetism is weakest. This area is known to cause radiation damage to satellites and problems with radio propagation, issues that are exacerbated by the SAA’s growth in size by eight percent over the past year. NCEI continues to monitor the situation closely.

    A well-known limitation of the WMM is the tendency for its accuracy to drop during magnetic storms, of which there were 18 that were strong to severe between November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2025. These space weather events can cause disparities between actual magnetic declination and the estimated declination provided by the WMM that are temporarily greater than the model uncertainty, especially at high latitudes. Such disparities can potentially affect navigation that relies on WMM2025 and WMMHR2025’s declination estimates. This year’s report includes descriptions of the two largest storms in order to alert users to this limitation to the models. Although Solar Cycle 25 has already passed its peak, space weather activity is expected to remain elevated for the next few years before gradually declining toward the anticipated solar minimum around 2030. Fortunately, the models take space weather into account in their error estimates.

    Regardless of these minor concerns, all data gathered for the annual report indicates that WMM2025 and WMMHR2025 have operated well below the margin of error stipulated by the U.S. Department of Defense. The models can thus continue to be relied on by all technology that implements them.

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  • E-scooters now legal in Burnaby

    With the City joining the BC Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project, residents now have another convenient, low-emission way to get around. 

    To ride safely and legally, remember these key rules:

    • Be at least 16 years old
    • Wear a helmet 
    • Use bike lanes. Do not ride on sidewalks, unless signage permits
    • Ride single file, with no passengers 

    Unsafe riding behavior can be reported to the Burnaby RCMP non-emergency line at 604-646-9999.

    Learn more about e-scooter safety rules and guidelines at Burnaby.ca/Escooters. 


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  • Social care cost rises create challenge for setting Council’s 2026/27 budget

    Social care cost rises create challenge for setting Council’s 2026/27 budget

    An additional £25.7 million needs to be allocated towards providing vital statutory social care and support services for Plymouth’s most vulnerable residents next year as cost and demand pressures continue to increase. 

    A report to Cabinet on the draft 2026/27 budget highlights that – like in many other local authorities – demand for adult social care, children’s social care, homelessness and SEND services in Plymouth continues to rise despite ongoing efforts to put proactive preventative measures in place to reduce the number of people needing more intensive and higher cost support. 

    The additional £25.7 million allocated in the draft budget is needed to meet demand pressures in areas such as children social care and placements (£9.4m), SEND home to school transport (£2m); adult social care (£11.1m); homelessness prevention £623,000; short breaks (£1.2m); and the Dedicated School Grant deficit funding (£1.6m). 

    The report says that while the Government’s latest Provisional funding settlement has given greater certainty over future funding, it has not provided enough additional funding to cover the scale of demand pressures the Council is facing. 

    This means that to set a balanced revenue budget that will enable the delivery of more than 300 services in 2026/27 the Council will need to deliver an additional £17.3 million of new savings above those previously agreed. These include proposed savings totalling £10.5m; invest to save projects that will save £4.3m; and further decisions that will reduce costs by another £2.5 million.  

    The Council will also need to change underlying arrangements for part of its debt and investment portfolio to save an additional £9.7m, with Council departments needing to continue working on finding further savings to minimise the use of reserves.  

    The draft budget for 2026/27 assumes an increase in Council Tax of up to 2.99 per cent and use of the 2 per cent adult social care precept, in line with the policy set out in the Government’s Autumn Statement and the Local Government Settlement. However, final Council Tax levels will be decided by the Full Council in February.  

    Councillor Mark Lowry, Cabinet member for Finance, said: “While our financial position is exceptionally challenging and we are having to make difficult decisions as we work to propose a balanced budget, we are confident that can protect hundreds of services that we know Plymouth residents need and value. 

    “We will be working continuously up until the budget setting meeting and beyond to drive out more efficiency in everything we do. 

    “We have already been very successful in ongoing efforts to reduce costs and increase efficiency but unfortunately – like other councils across the country – we continue to face unprecedented cost and demand pressures in critical statutory care services, which account for around two thirds of our total revenue budget. While there is a significant amount of work in train to reduce the number of people reaching the stage where they need to rely on intensive support services, there are no quick or easy solutions or instant savings. 

    “Even with these challenges, we remain committed to our ambitious vision for the city and ensuring that Plymouth residents benefit from work to secure and create jobs, provide affordable housing, increase community safety, support better transport, while protecting services for children, vulnerable adults and supporting those affected by homelessness. At all times we remain acutely aware of the ongoing financial pressures and economic challenges facing households across Plymouth and will continue striving to provide the best possible value for money that we can.” 

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  • NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCES CONTINUED RIVER LINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND COMMUNICATION IMPROVEMENTS

    Customer Experience Upgrades Include Renovated Vehicle Interiors, Special Wrap Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday With Special Graphics

    January 9, 2026

    TRENTON, NJ – NJ TRANSIT continues to perform a series of upgrades on systems and equipment on the River LINE as the agency continues the transition to take over the operations and maintenance from the current contractor. NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri was joined by New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo and Senator Troy Singleton to unveil the first vehicle to feature a fully renovated passenger compartment and a recent engine overhaul as part of continuing efforts to enhance the customer experience and improve service reliability. To mark the milestone, the first vehicle is wrapped in graphics celebrating America’s 250th birthday being observed this year.  

     

    “As we finalize the process of assuming operation of the River LINE, every upgrade we’re making is focused on improving reliability, communications and the customer experience,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri. “This work builds on the systemwide modernization already underway across our bus and rail fleets, as we also maintain an equal commitment to investing in the quality of commute for our light rail customers.”

     

    “Safety and security remain the top priority for NJ TRANSIT on River LINE and throughout the NJ TRANSIT system,” said New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. “New Jersey Transit Police remain visible and work with our law enforcement partners on the local, county, state and federal levels to coordinate our efforts statewide. We encourage customers to report any suspicious activity by calling 888-TIPS-NJT or texting NJTPD (65873).”

     

    “The River LINE is a vital connector for residents and businesses across South Jersey,” said Senator Troy Singleton (LD-7). “Investments like these not only enhance the quality and reliability of service but also reaffirm NJ TRANSIT’s commitment to strengthening our region’s infrastructure and supporting economic growth. I remain hopeful that these are the types of improvements we will continue to see in the months ahead.”

     

    As part of the transition from the current contractor, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors authorized NJ TRANSIT to enter into a contract with Kinkisharyo International LLC for the maintenance of the River LINE fleet vehicles. NJ TRANSIT will assume oversight of the River LINE service, the maintenance of the right-of-way, and the light rail station maintenance. After several years of working closely together to assess the conditions of the River LINE, NJ TRANSIT and its contractor Alstom began to transition the light rail system to NJ TRANSIT in early September. The transition will be fully complete in the first quarter of this year. The transition enables NJ TRANSIT to be best positioned to shape and implement the next steps that will strengthen and enhance the future of the service.

     

    NJ TRANSIT is working with Kinkisharyo to completely rehabilitate the interior passenger areas of the vehicles. Improvements include new LED lighting, replaced seating, new flooring, updated signage and more to significantly enhance the on-board customer experience. In addition, Kinkisharyo is performing a top-to-bottom set of inspections on the light rail vehicles to ensure they remain in a state of good repair. NJ TRANSIT plans to upgrade 14 light rail vehicles as part of this program, as the agency works concurrently to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) to fully replace the entire River LINE fleet.  

     

    As part of the continuing enhancements, NJ TRANSIT has also installed real-time arrival information on the River LINE platforms to improve customer information. River LINE customers now have access to live departure times at every station and through the NJ TRANSIT mobile app. They can track River LINE vehicles in real time, allowing them to monitor any impacts on service more accurately.

     

    About NJ TRANSIT

    NJ TRANSIT is the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 264 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 165 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

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  • PS Hogan to announce funding for clean, affordable electricity

    Friday, January 9, 2026

    CALGARY — Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, will make an announcement regarding electricity grid reliability and resiliency. Media availability will follow. 

    Date: Monday, January 12, 2026

    Time: 2 p.m. MT

    All accredited media are asked to pre-register by emailing media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca. Details on how to participate will be provided upon registration.

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  • US Department of Labor statement on withdrawal of Supreme Court petition in Pizarro v. Home Depot – U.S. Department of Labor (.gov)

    1. US Department of Labor statement on withdrawal of Supreme Court petition in Pizarro v. Home Depot  U.S. Department of Labor (.gov)
    2. Home Depot 401(k) Fight Wraps Before High Court Gets A Say  Law360
    3. Labor Department Cheers Home Depot ERISA Dismissal at High Court  Bloomberg Law News
    4. Supreme Court loses chance to resolve 401(k) loss causation dispute  Pensions & Investments
    5. Plaintiffs Drop Home Depot Case Before Supreme Court Review  plansponsor

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  • Data Subject Access Request | ORBCOMM


    Applicable data privacy laws including, but not limited to, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 and
    L. 125(I)/2018, as amended from time to time, entitle data subjects to obtain from data processors, confirmation as to
    whether or not we are processing personal data concerning you, to request details about the purposes, categories and
    disclosures of such data, as well as to withdraw your consent.


    The information requested in this form is necessary to enable ORBCOMM, on behalf of its affiliated companies (‘ORBCOMM’)
    to process your Data Subject Action Request. The provided information will only be used to identify you and the personal
    info/data you are requesting, responding to your request and maintaining related records. It may be necessary to verify
    your identity prior to responding to your request. Promptly provide us any additional information we request to identify
    the data subject and, if applicable, verify the authority of a person acting on the data subject’s behalf. If we are unable
    to verify identity and authority of the requestor we will reject the data request. Do NOT send any sensitive personal
    info/data, including social security numbers or copies of government IDs.























    Relationship to Organization












    If you are making this Data Subject Access Request and the information you request reveals details directly or
    indirectly about another person, we will either redact such information or seek the consent of that person before
    we can disclose that information to you. In circumstances, where disclosure of information to you could adversely
    affect the rights and freedoms of others, we will not be able to disclose the information to you, in which case
    you will be informed of that decision. Protected information, such as that covered by a legal professional privilege
    or similar obligation cannot be disclosed.


    Data Subject Action Requests are subject to certain conditions and exceptions. We will advise you in writing if
    we believe that your Data Subject Action Request is not valid under applicable law, with an explanation of the reason(s).


    In most circumstances, ORBCOMM will provide you with the results of your request free of charge. Under certain
    circumstances, ORBCOMM has the right to charge a reasonable fee for requests that are repetitive or manifestly
    unfounded or excessive. ORBCOMM may also charge a reasonable fee to comply with duplicate requests or the same
    information. The fee will be based on the administrative cost of providing the information.


    If you have additional questions or concerns please contact ORBCOMM at privacy@orbcomm.com.



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  • Committee presses Government and Ofcom for details on action against AI intimate deepfakes – UK Parliament

    1. Committee presses Government and Ofcom for details on action against AI intimate deepfakes  UK Parliament
    2. Decide on X ban within days, government tells regulator  BBC
    3. Elon Musk’s X faces probes in Europe, India, Malaysia after Grok generated explicit images of women and children  CNBC
    4. Elon Musk’s Pornography Machine  The Atlantic
    5. No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool  The Guardian

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  • Novartis to add radioligand therapy manufacturing facility in Winter Park, Florida, fourth in US to serve patients and advance $23 billion investment

    Novartis to add radioligand therapy manufacturing facility in Winter Park, Florida, fourth in US to serve patients and advance $23 billion investment

    • New 35,000-square-foot facility in Winter Park will expand RLT manufacturing footprint to optimize delivery for patients across southeastern US
    • Purpose-built facility will strengthen Novartis RLT manufacturing network alongside existing Indiana, New Jersey, and recently completed California sites
    • Novartis RLT portfolio advancing with new isotopes, ligands and combination therapies, bringing innovation to new cancer types

    Basel, January 9, 2026 – Novartis, a leading global innovative medicines company, today announced plans to build its fourth US radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facility in Winter Park, Florida. The built-for-purpose, state-of-the-art facility represents another milestone in the company’s $23 billion US investment announced in April 2025, further expanding manufacturing capabilities to meet growing demand for these cutting-edge cancer treatments. Novartis is scaling US manufacturing to bring innovative medicines closer to patients, so treatments are researched, made, and delivered with greater speed, reliability, and access in the communities where people live.

    The new 35,000-square-foot facility in Winter Park, Florida, will come online by 2029 and will strengthen Novartis’ specialized supply chain and manufacturing capabilities across its network of RLT production facilities. The new facility will optimize the delivery of RLT medicines to patients in the southeast US and help maintain the company’s steady rate of >99% of doses administered on the planned day as the potential for this promising treatment modality continues to expand.

    “Building this new facility in Florida marks an important step in fulfilling the promise of RLT for patients,” said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. “Radioligand therapy has fundamentally changed how we approach certain cancers, and our growing US manufacturing network ensures we can continue to deliver these critical medicines with speed and reliability to patients who need them.”

    RLT is a type of precision treatment that pairs a tumor-targeting molecule (ligand) with a therapeutic radioisotope, allowing radiation to be delivered directly to the tumor while minimizing harm to surrounding healthy tissue. Each RLT dose is individually prepared, and its delivery is highly time sensitive. Proximity to treatment facilities and transportation hubs is critical to ensure patients receive their therapy promptly and at the right location. RLT has the potential to transform oncology treatment and bring new options to people living with cancer.

    As the sole company with two FDA-approved RLT treatments and an extensive RLT pipeline across several tumors and targets, Novartis has global expertise in this cutting-edge technology platform that is transforming cancer care. That knowledge has fueled advancements in manufacturing techniques to build capacity and consistently deliver with confidence for patients and healthcare providers.  

    RLT manufacturing requires specialized talent, a key factor in determining the location for each new facility. Florida has steadily invested in higher education for life sciences and technology, helping to build the next generation of leaders critical to driving forward advanced manufacturing for platforms like RLT. With a growing skilled workforce and a regulatory and policy environment that values pharmaceutical innovation, Florida is well positioned to become a leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing. 

    “Thanks to deliberate, focused, intensified investments and world class health innovation partnerships, we have led Florida to become a national and world-recognized leader for breakthroughs in cancer treatment, neurological innovations, and more,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “Novartis’ investment in manufacturing cancer medicines here in Florida—where we’re already #2 nationally in both manufacturing for medicine and medical device technology—is an incredible opportunity to welcome world class innovators to our incredibly collaborative and impactful life sciences community.”

    Over the next 5 years, Novartis will solidify its robust US RLT manufacturing network. The new Florida site is the fourth of five existing or planned facilities. The company is currently investing in expansions of its RLT facilities in Indiana and New Jersey. In November, Novartis announced completion of a new RLT facility in California, and it plans to build a fifth location in the US. 

    Novartis and radioligand therapy (RLT)
    Novartis is reimagining cancer care with RLT for patients with advanced cancers. By harnessing the power of targeted radiation and applying it to advanced cancers, RLT is designed to deliver treatment directly to target cells anywhere in the body.  

    Novartis is actively investigating the application of RLTs across cancer types and settings, with one of the deepest and most advanced pipelines in the industry, with trials in prostate cancer, breast, colon, lung, brain, pancreatic and other cancers. Novartis has established global expertise, with specialized supply chain and manufacturing capabilities across its network of RLT production sites around the world. 

    Disclaimer 
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as “potential,” “can,” “will,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “look forward,” “believe,” “committed,” “investigational,” “pipeline,” “launch,” or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release; or regarding potential future revenues from such products; or regarding discussions of strategy, plans, expectations or intentions, including discussions regarding our continued investment into new US manufacturing and R&D capabilities. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. Neither can there be any guarantee that the expected benefits from the plans and investments described in this press release will be achieved in the expected timeframe, or at all. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG’s current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    About Novartis 
    Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach nearly 300 million people worldwide.

    Reimagine medicine with us: Visit us at https://www.novartis.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram.

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