Morning Briefing — August 13, 2026

World News

Trump tariff deadline looms as Canada's LeBlanc stays in Washington for last-ditch trade talks — Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is remaining in Washington as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff deadline approaches, aiming to present a path to a potential trade deal. Officials on both sides are working to avert new duties on Canadian exports. BNN Bloomberg

Trump administration pushes ahead with tariff regime despite industry warnings — Bloomberg reports the U.S. president's protectionist rebuild is generating cautionary tales among American industries. Analysts warn the struggle serves as a warning as the White House pursues broader trade policy shifts. Bloomberg

CBC News: Canada, U.S. aim to present Trump path to trade deal as soon as Monday — CBC News has learned that Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and his American counterpart are working to hand President Trump a possible framework for a trade deal early next week. The move comes amid rising tariff tensions. CBC

Latest breaking headlines from Canada and around the world — CBC News is running rolling coverage of top Canadian and international headlines, including regional stories from Newfoundland & Labrador and updates on federal politics. The public broadcaster continues live streaming of major developments. CBC

Global news roundup covers politics, business and world affairs — Reuters continues to provide up-to-the-minute coverage of politics, business, technology and world events with correspondents worldwide. Today's coverage spans breaking news across multiple regions and sectors. Reuters

Business

U.S. farmers to harvest second-largest corn crop on record despite weather setbacks — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that lower yields caused by adverse summer weather were more than offset by larger plantings, leading to what will be the second-largest corn harvest on record this autumn. The forecast could weigh on grain prices heading into fall. BNN Bloomberg

AI boom mints 19 new billionaires amid relentless tech investment surge — Bloomberg reports that the continued AI investment cycle has created 19 new billionaires as valuations for AI-focused firms surge. Meanwhile, workers are flocking to AI boot camps to reskill in anticipation of employer demand. Bloomberg

Asian retail investors reshape home equity markets with record inflows — A wave of domestic investment across Asia is making the region's equities less dependent on foreign money, according to Bloomberg. The shift introduces new risks even as it deepens local markets. Bloomberg

NYC rental market sees new fee 'paywalls' emerge after broker-fee ban — A year after New York City barred landlords from passing broker fees on to renters, a new kind of paywall has emerged in one of the nation's most competitive rental markets. Bloomberg examines how landlords are adapting. Bloomberg

Vintage fashion resale market grows to $289 billion, upending luxury economics — The rapidly expanding secondhand fashion market is now valued at $289 billion and growing, according to Bloomberg. The trend is challenging the carefully cultivated economics of the traditional luxury industry. Bloomberg

Canadian business news covers TSX, oil prices and interest rates — BNN Bloomberg delivers Canadian business news covering the TSX, oil and energy prices, and Bank of Canada policy. Today's coverage focuses on tariff uncertainty and its impact on markets and the Canadian dollar. BNN Bloomberg

Technology

AI reckoning arrives for software engineers as companies restructure — Bloomberg reports that for software engineers, the AI reckoning is already here, with major restructurings underway. Companies are reshaping engineering roles as generative AI tools handle more of the coding workload. Bloomberg

AI boot camps surge as workers race to acquire generative-AI skills — Workers are anxiously enrolling in AI boot camps to show they've learned the technology, according to Bloomberg, even though it's hard to predict what skills employers will ultimately demand. The rush reflects widespread anxiety about job displacement. Bloomberg

TechCrunch tracks the latest in AI: models, ethics and startups — TechCrunch continues broad coverage of artificial intelligence and machine learning, including generative AI, large language models, text-to-image and text-to-video models. Recent stories examine speech generation and predictive analytics. TechCrunch

Financial Times deepens coverage of digital transformation and AI policy — The FT continues global reporting on technology, climate policy and digital transformation from more than 50 countries. Recent features unpack the impact of AI on business and cultural shifts across industries. FT

AI-enabled devices reshape how consumer photos and voice work — CBC's documentary coverage highlights how AI in smartphones enhances night shots, adjusts autofocus, filters call background noise, and provides real-time voice translation. The everyday integration reflects how far AI has already permeated consumer tech. CBC

Renewable Energy

China's clean-tech exports surge 70% year-on-year in March 2026 — China's exports of the 'new three' clean-energy technologies — solar cells and panels, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries — surged 70% year-on-year in March 2026 to reach $21.6bn, according to Carbon Brief analysis. Exports were also up 37% from February. Carbon Brief

Clean power pushed fossil-fuel generation into reverse for first time in 2025 — Renewable energy has overtaken coal to become the world's largest source of electricity in 2025, according to thinktank Ember. Fossil-fuel generation fell by 0.2% in 2025, with wind and solar alone meeting 99% of the growth in electricity demand. Carbon Brief

Renewables met all new electricity demand in 2025, but Canada lags — According to Ember and reported by CBC, renewable energy met all new demand for electricity globally in 2025, preventing any increase in fossil-fuel burning for power generation. However, Canada continues to lag behind global peers despite recent procurements in Quebec, B.C. and Ontario. CBC

UN says renewables transition has passed 'positive tipping point' — The global switch to renewable energy has passed a 'positive tipping point,' with solar now 41% cheaper and wind 53% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel, according to UN reports. In 2024, 74% of electricity generation growth came from renewables. CBC

Northeast U.S. offshore wind additions help ease oil-fired power demand — Canary Media reports the region has added dozens of turbines off the East Coast since last summer, and combined with other clean-energy sources they cut the need for oil-fired power during recent heatwaves. A federal judge separately ordered the Defense Department to resume onshore wind permit reviews. Canary Media

Carbon Brief: 57 countries advance 'informal' fossil-fuel transition plan in Santa Marta — Ministers and climate envoys from 57 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia to advance an 'informal' approach to transitioning away from fossil fuels. A new science panel was also launched during a pre-conference of 400 academics. Carbon Brief

Clean-energy investment exceeded $2 trillion globally for first time in 2024 — According to the UN report cited by Carbon Brief, global annual clean-energy investments exceeded $2 trillion for the first time in 2024 — $800 billion more than fossil-fuel investment. However, grid connection bottlenecks now threaten to slow deployment, with 3,000GW of renewable projects awaiting connection. Carbon Brief

Soil Science

Longest-running soil warming experiment reveals worrying carbon feedback — The world's longest-running soil warming experiment has revealed an unexpected climate concern: after nearly four decades, researchers found that warming can cause microbes to break down stable soil carbon that scientists once believed was largely locked away. The finding raises the possibility of stronger positive climate feedbacks. ScienceDaily

Beneficial soil microbes could rescue crops from salty farmland — Researchers have discovered that beneficial soil bacteria give plants an unexpected survival advantage in salty soils. Instead of helping plants exclude salt, the microbes stimulate lignin production, which strengthens plant tissues and could aid farming in salt-affected regions. ScienceDaily

Sulfoxaflor pesticide may impair bumblebee reproductive health — A next-generation pesticide designed to kill crop pests may be interfering with bumblebee reproductive health. Researchers found low-dose exposure to sulfoxaflor changed gene activity, especially in tissues involved in reproduction, raising concerns for pollinator populations. ScienceDaily

Bumblebees pick up up to 7 times more toxic metals than honeybees — Bumblebees are picking up dramatically more toxic heavy metals than honeybees, even when both species forage in the same places. Researchers warn this hidden pollution could quietly reduce pollinators' ability to find food and reproduce. ScienceDaily

Heavy tilling damage revealed by tiny seismic signals of rainwater — Science News reports that the tiny seismic signals of rainwater moving through the ground can reveal how heavily-tilled soils are damaged. The technique offers a new tool for assessing soil compaction and structure noninvasively. Science News

FAO warns soil compaction is a major and growing driver of land degradation — The FAO Soils Portal highlights that soil compaction is a major and growing driver of land degradation worldwide. FAO will host an international symposium in Aarhus, Denmark from 21–23 September 2026 to address the issue. FAO

FAO 2026 Food Systems Countdown: progress too slow to meet 2030 goals — The 2026 Food Systems Countdown analysis reveals that progress is too slow and insufficient to meet 2030 sustainable food system goals, but 2050 could still be achievable if actions are consistent and accelerated. FAO also notes sugar, cereals and vegetable oils saw price rises while meat and dairy declined. FAO

Potato origin story could help future-proof the crop against climate threats — New research into the origin story of potatoes could help future-proof this critical staple crop against climate change threats. Understanding the crop's genetic diversity offers opportunities for breeding more resilient varieties for smallholder farmers. Science News

Cover photo by Myznik Egor on Unsplash.