Morning Briefing — November 7, 2026
Morning Briefing — November 7, 2026
World News
Republicans ran away from Trump's Canadian tariffs, but not far enough — Several Republicans tried to distance themselves from Donald Trump's trade war during the midterms, in some cases asking for specific tariffs to be rolled back, but still lost. Democrats, traditionally the party of protectionism, now appear to be moving toward a more pro-free trade stance and ready to try to reach a deal with Republicans. CBC
Europe's latest wave of bomb threats targets flights and newsrooms — A new wave of bomb threats is targeting flights across Europe and now extending to media newsrooms. Authorities are investigating the scope of the threats and how they're being coordinated. CBC
Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie sentenced to 200 years for murder of 190 children — A Kenyan court sentenced cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murder of 190 children. The sentencing closes a major chapter in the Shakahola Forest starvation cult case that shocked Kenya and the world. CBC
Russian strike on Komyshuvakha kills at least 55 as search enters sixth day — The death toll from a Russian strike on the Ukrainian town of Komyshuvakha has risen to 55 as rescuers continue searching the rubble. Ukrainian military intelligence says four Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers were involved in the attack on a humanitarian aid centre. Kyiv Independent
Russian strikes hit substations connecting nuclear plants to Kyiv — President Volodymyr Zelensky said substations were damaged in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro oblasts during overnight Russian attacks that killed two and injured 37. Ukraine responded with strikes on an Oryol factory and reportedly the Saratov Oil Refinery. Kyiv Independent
Israeli forces withdraw from areas around Hebron after multi-day West Bank operation — Israeli troops pulled back from areas around Hebron in the occupied West Bank after a multi-day operation launched following the killing of two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint. Separately, five Palestinian civil police officers were killed in an Israeli airstrike in al-Mawasi, Rafah. AFP / Al Jazeera
Meghan Markle's father arrested and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material — Thomas Markle, father of the Duchess of Sussex, has been arrested and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material. The case has drawn international attention given the high-profile family connection. CBC
L.A. elects new mayor — a democratic socialist — Los Angeles voters have elected a democratic socialist as their new mayor, in one of the most striking local outcomes of this week's U.S. elections. The result underscores a leftward shift in several major American cities after Democrats swept the midterms. CBC
Business
AI stock sell-off sends the S&P 500 down 4.4% in worst day since April 2025 — AI stocks worldwide felt pressure amid worries over potential moratoriums on data centres following Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections. The S&P 500 posted its worst session since Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs earlier this year, and the 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.84%. CBC
Canadian economy lost 4,700 jobs in October as unemployment ticked up to 6.7% — Statistics Canada reported Canada lost 4,700 jobs in October, defying economist forecasts of a 13,600 gain, with unemployment rising to 6.7%. Analysts link the trend to fallout from stalled Canada-U.S. trade negotiations that have made employers cautious about hiring. CBC
Carney's second federal budget tackles affordability and Canadian sovereignty — Prime Minister Mark Carney's second federal budget earmarks billions for affordability measures and Canadian sovereignty, with new tax measures and incentives aimed at spurring private-sector investment. Business groups said the budget focuses on mega-projects while falling short on support for small businesses. CBC
Tech rout wipes $3.2 trillion from U.S. markets after midterms — Thursday's post-midterm sell-off cut the Nasdaq 100 by 6.4% — its worst day since 2020 — pushing the index into correction territory. Nvidia fell 9.3%, erasing more than $400 billion in value, and Micron dropped over 17% as investors reassessed the AI trade. FT / DealBook
Tesla will stop making Cybertrucks next year, Musk says — Elon Musk confirmed Tesla will end production of the Cybertruck in 2027, marking an abrupt end to the controversial stainless-steel pickup. The decision follows weaker-than-expected demand and persistent production challenges. CBC
Worst of beef price hikes may be over, but cheaper steak isn't coming soon — Canadian beef prices appear to have peaked after a historic run-up tied to shrinking cattle herds, but analysts caution prices will remain elevated. Rebuilding North American herds is a multi-year process, so meaningful relief at the checkout is still some way off. CBC
Ottawa readies ban on fees for moving investment accounts — The federal government is preparing to ban the fees Canadian financial institutions charge customers to transfer investment accounts to a competitor. The move aims to boost competition and make it easier for consumers to shop around for better returns and lower fees. CBC
Technology
OpenAI raises $11 billion at $1.25 trillion valuation, below earlier targets — OpenAI has reportedly raised an additional $11 billion as part of an ongoing funding round that values the AI lab at $1.25 trillion. In late September, Bloomberg reported OpenAI was looking to raise $30 billion in the round, so the current figures fall well short of that target. TechCrunch
OpenAI will keep investing in AI data centers despite election results, CFO tells CNBC — OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said the company will keep pouring money into AI infrastructure despite the political backlash to data centres after the midterms. OpenAI confidentially filed its IPO prospectus with the SEC in June and is still looking at a 2027 market debut, while Anthropic is targeting a mid-November Nasdaq listing. CNBC
Democrats poised to step up Nvidia oversight over chip exports and circular financing — With Elizabeth Warren a top contender to chair Senate Banking, Democrats are preparing to increase scrutiny of Nvidia's chip-export practices and the circular financing arrangements driving the AI boom. The move signals a new regulatory risk hanging over the biggest winner of the AI buildout. Bloomberg
TSMC considers expanding into 3D DRAM at Nvidia's request — TSMC is weighing an expansion into manufacturing 3D DRAM at the request of its biggest customer, Nvidia, amid memory chip shortages driven by AI demand. The move could reshape the global memory market, which is currently dominated by Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron. The Information
Nvidia requires Southeast Asian cloud partners to enroll in chip-location tracking — Nvidia is requiring Southeast Asian customers seeking Nvidia Cloud Partner status to join a program that tracks the physical locations of their AI chips. The policy comes as the U.S. tightens restrictions on advanced chip exports to China. Bloomberg
OpenAI launches GPT-6 Cyber for advanced cybersecurity work — OpenAI introduced GPT-6 Cyber, classifying its cybersecurity capabilities as Critical and initially restricting access to selected Daybreak Red organizations. The company said its researchers also found 948 ways to exploit Linux using the model. The Neuron
Google invests $17B in Wyoming data centers; Anthropic lines up UK retail IPO — Google announced a $17 billion data-centre investment in Wyoming, while rival Anthropic lined up a UK retail offering as part of its upcoming IPO. Some investors are questioning Anthropic's $1.5 trillion valuation target amid the post-midterm AI stock rout. The Neuron / AI Roundup
SpaceX says Google exec Don Harrison has resigned from its board — SpaceX disclosed that Google executive Don Harrison has stepped down from its board of directors. The departure comes as SpaceX continues to scale its Starlink and launch businesses while preparing new capital raises. CNBC
Renewable Energy
Daily Briefing: COP31 to start, Rosebank push, 'simply staggering' El Niño — Carbon Brief's briefing previews the opening of COP31 in Antalya and reports UK cabinet ministers are lobbying PM Andy Burnham and energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to approve drilling at the Rosebank oil and gas field. Separately, forecasters say a rapidly developing "super El Niño" is on track to peak in December. Carbon Brief
Blue wave rocks global energy markets as clean-energy shares rally — Shock waves from the Democratic midterm sweep cascaded through global energy markets, with data-centre stocks sliding and clean-energy shares rallying. The Guardian reported that shares of renewable energy developers worldwide climbed, with offshore wind developer Ørsted expected to get a reprieve from White House assaults on offshore wind off the northeast U.S. coast. Carbon Brief / Politico
China's quarterly CO2 falls 3% in largest drop since COVID — Carbon Brief analysis finds China's quarterly CO2 emissions fell 3% year-on-year — the biggest drop since the pandemic — driven by surging renewables and weaker construction demand. The decline adds to evidence that China's emissions may have peaked earlier than many had forecast. Carbon Brief
China's 2026 clean-tech exports to avoid as much CO2 as Brazil emits in a year — Carbon Brief analysis finds Chinese exports of solar panels, EVs, batteries and other clean technologies in 2026 will avoid roughly as much CO2 as Brazil emits annually. The figures highlight China's dominant role in supplying the global energy transition. Carbon Brief
COP31 opens in Antalya with talks on fossil-fuel roadmap and 'clean' electrification — The 31st UN climate conference opens 9 November in Antalya, Türkiye, with Australia's Chris Bowen presiding over negotiations. Key fights include a Brazil-led roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels and an EU push for a 'clean' electrification target, according to Carbon Pulse's daily briefing. UNFCCC / Carbon Pulse
2026 likely to tie with 2024 as the warmest year on record — Carbon Brief's State of the Climate analysis finds 2026 is on track to tie with 2024 as the warmest year on record. The findings underscore the urgency of ambitious outcomes at COP31, which opens next week. Carbon Brief
UK climate minister Katie White: COP31 must respond to 'really scary' science — UK climate minister Katie White told Carbon Brief that COP31 must produce a substantive response to the latest, deeply alarming climate science. She called on major emitters to move beyond rhetoric and commit to accelerated phase-down of fossil fuels. Carbon Brief
Soil Science
Is soil carbon being underestimated? Research finds 30% or more below 30cm — New findings from pilot farms suggest current soil carbon measurements may be missing a significant share stored deeper in the soil profile. The results raise questions for carbon accounting methods and farm policy, since most protocols only sample the top 30 cm. Farmers Guardian
Exceptional wheat quality contrasts with mixed barley results in 2026 UK harvest survey — AHDB's 2026 Cereal Quality Survey, based on 7,827 wheat and 12,659 barley samples, shows record-breaking milling wheat specifications in the UK. But growers face concerns over winter barley screenings and elevated nitrogen levels across the barley crop. Farmers Guardian
Global fertilizer markets show diverging trends as Brazilian farmers delay nitrogen buys — Reuters reports that financially pressured farmers, particularly in Brazil, have been postponing nitrogen fertilizer purchases amid higher prices and tight agricultural credit. Nutrien's November update highlighted continued strength in global potash demand even as nitrogen buying slows. Reuters / ABNewswire
Your soil sample checklist: farmers urged to prep for fall testing — AgWeb published a checklist to help U.S. growers make the most of fall soil sampling, a critical input for next year's nutrient management plans. Agronomists emphasise that sampling depth, timing and lab selection can make a meaningful difference to fertiliser ROI. AgWeb
UK farmers say budget has given farming businesses no breathing space — Deputy editor Alex Black reports that UK farmers at a post-budget event felt the Chancellor failed to deliver promised breathing room, with frustration focused on Sustainable Farming Incentive funding disappearing early. Many said simply staying afloat is becoming the dominant concern across the sector. Farmers Guardian
Tenant Farming Commissioner highlights need to support landlords alongside tenants — Tenant Farming Commissioner Alan Laidlaw published a year-one reflection on the Defra blog, arguing that good tenancy relationships depend on constructive work by tenants, landlords, agents and solicitors. The role was created following Baroness Kate Rock's review of the tenant farming sector. Farmers Guardian
Soybeans hit new lows as big Mexico sales support corn and wheat — Corn futures extended a modest rebound from four-month lows ahead of USDA crop reports, while soybeans and wheat also gained on strong export sales. Corn sales commitments for the 2026-27 marketing year remain sharply behind 2025-26 levels despite recent demand. Farm Progress