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5 Things to Know Today: Free National Parks, the Grocery Squeeze, and Back-to-School Sticker Shock

  Friday, July 24, 2026 Here's what's moving your money today: a free-admission summer program gets a presidential — er, prime ministerial — plug, grocery bills keep outrunning the official inflation rate, and back-to-school shopping lists are starting to sting. Here are five things worth five minutes of your morning. 1. The Canada Strong Pass is still handing out free national park admission The Prime Minister spent part of today at a national park promoting the Canada Strong Pass , the federal program giving everyone — Canadian or not — free admission to all Parks Canada sites, plus a 25% discount on camping and roofed accommodations, through September 7, 2026 . There's no app or registration; you just show up. Museums and galleries also offer free or discounted entry for visitors 24 and under, and VIA Rail has discounted fares tied to the same window. What it means for you: If a summer trip is still on the wish list, this is a real, no-strings discount — but camping spo...
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S&P 500 Inches Closer to Record High Amid Optimism About Fed’s Policy and Year-End Effect

 

The S&P 500 index closed just shy of a new record high on Thursday, with the broad index gaining 0.04%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.03%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%. Markets are ending 2023 on a hot streak, with all three indexes on pace for a ninth consecutive weekly gain. For the S&P 500, that would mark the longest streak since January 2004. The index is now within 0.3% of its all-time high, set in January 2022. With one trading session remaining in 2023, the S&P 500 is up 25%.

Investors are optimistic that the Federal Reserve can successfully cool inflation without inducing a major economic slowdown, which has powered the market’s recent advance. Now, some investors say the looming end of the calendar year is giving markets an extra boost. “Nobody who has caught this rally wants to incur a taxable event,” said Michael Green, chief strategist at Simplify Asset Management. “If nobody wants to sell, prices will push higher on low volume”.

The jobless claims data released by the Labor Department on Thursday indicated a gradual cooling of the economy. Initial jobless claims, considered a proxy for layoffs, were 218,000 in the week ending Dec. 23, slightly more than the 215,000 that economists expected.

Bond yields rose as prices fell, reflecting expectations of higher inflation and interest rates. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.849%, up from 3.7%.

Some investors are increasing their exposure to energy and industrial stocks, which could benefit from a strong economic recovery. Matt Dmytryszyn, chief investment officer at Telemus Capital, said his fund is boosting its position in shares of energy and industrial firms.


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