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The Subway That Took a Generation: Why the Eglinton Crosstown’s Delays Were Even Worse Than You Think

  Toronto has a long history of transit projects that drag on, but the Eglinton Crosstown LRT has become the city’s defining example of how complicated, political, and painfully slow building transit can be. Most people think of the project as something that started in the early 2010s and simply ran over schedule. The truth is far messier—and stretches back decades. A Project With Roots in the 1990s Long before shovels hit the ground in 2011, the idea of rapid transit along Eglinton was already alive. In the mid‑1990s, the TTC began digging tunnels for what was then called the Eglinton West Subway . Construction actually started—tunnels were being carved out under the street—until the project was abruptly cancelled in 1995. The partially built tunnels were filled in, and the corridor sat untouched for years. That early false start meant that by the time the Crosstown was revived as part of the Transit City plan in 2007, planners weren’t starting fresh. They were restarting a dr...
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Nvidia’s Stock Surge Propels Markets to Record Highs

                                 Nvidia

Investor excitement over artificial intelligence (AI) reached a new peak this week as chipmaker Nvidia defied expectations and drove stock markets in three continents to record highs. Here’s what you need to know about the remarkable surge and its implications:

The Rise of Nvidia

  • Nvidia, known for its cutting-edge graphics processing units (GPUs), plays a pivotal role in the AI landscape. These chips are essential for training and operating AI systems, enabling rapid data crunching for applications like chatbots.
  • As big tech firms increasingly embrace AI and create products like ChatGPT, demand for Nvidia’s infrastructure has skyrocketed.
  • In its recent fourth-quarter earnings report, Nvidia surprised markets by posting revenues of $22.1 billion, surpassing expectations. The company also forecasted an impressive 233% revenue growth for the current quarter, outpacing Wall Street estimates of 208%.
  • According to Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, generative AI—a technology that produces convincing text, images, and audio from simple prompts—has reached a “tipping point.”

Market Impact

  • Following Nvidia’s results, several leading indices surged to fresh highs:
    • Japan’s Nikkei index closed at 39,098.68, the highest level in 34 years.
    • Europe’s STOXX 600, Wall Street’s Dow Jones, and the S&P 500 all hit new records.
  • Nvidia itself experienced a historic milestone, with its market capitalization soaring by $277 billion in a single day. It now stands at over $1.9 trillion, making it the third most valuable company in the US, trailing only Microsoft and Apple.
  • The argument is that strong demand for Nvidia GPUs will ripple across economies as the need for AI-related infrastructure and services continues to grow.

Sustainability Questions

  • While the AI boom is exciting, concerns linger:
    • Safety: How can we ensure responsible AI deployment?
    • Jobs: Will AI displace traditional roles?
    • Market Exuberance: Is the surge sustainable, or are we witnessing a speculative bubble?

In summary, Nvidia’s remarkable surge has propelled markets to unprecedented heights, but vigilance is necessary to navigate the AI revolution responsibly. 

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