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Canadians Are Feeling Less Squeezed — But Fraud Is Rewriting How We Manage Credit

  New data from TransUnion's Q2 2026 Canada Consumer Pulse Study, released July 22, 2026 There's a small but real shift happening in Canadian households right now. After years of headlines about affordability and inflation, a new survey suggests things are slightly less bleak — but Canadians aren't relaxing. They're getting more careful, and increasingly, more worried about fraud than about their credit score. TransUnion's newest Consumer Pulse Study, out today, paints a picture of a country cautiously exhaling — while quietly tightening the locks on its financial front door. The Good News: A Little More Breathing Room For the first time in a while, the numbers aren't all doom. Roughly a quarter of Canadians surveyed said their household income rose over the past three months, and nearly one in four say their finances are running better than they expected this year — the best reading TransUnion has recorded in the past 12 months. Optimism is edging up too: 45% ...

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Trump Trial Judge Seals the Courtroom to Unleash on MAGA Lawyer


In a dramatic turn of events during Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan, Judge Juan Merchan suddenly sealed the courtroom on Monday afternoon. The reason? A heated confrontation with Robert Costello, a MAGA-friendly lawyer who played a key role in the attempted backchannel between Michael Cohen and the Trump White House in 2018.

Costello, a former prosecutor, had been reprimanded for outbursts in court whenever he was interrupted or told not to answer a question that had been objected to and sustained. As tensions escalated, Costello began to stare down the judge. Merchan took action, ordering the jury out of the room and addressing Costello directly: “Mr. Costello, I’d like to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom, OK?”.

Despite the warning, Costello continued to push boundaries. When Merchan turned around, he caught Costello staring at him again. Frustrated, the judge ordered security to seal the courtroom and ejected all journalists so he could give Costello a dressing down. When the journalists returned, Costello’s face had turned beet red, and he continued to answer questions from defense lawyer Emil Bove about his minor role in the New York criminal case against the former president.

Costello’s testimony also shed light on Michael Cohen’s behavior after the FBI raided his apartment in search of evidence related to a campaign finance crime. According to Costello, Cohen was “suicidal that day and acting very manic.” Costello had advised Cohen that cooperating with the Southern District of New York and providing truthful information about Donald Trump would resolve his legal problems by the end of the week.

The courtroom drama continues, and the clash between the judge and the MAGA lawyer adds another layer of intensity to Trump’s trial. Stay tuned for further developments as this high-stakes legal battle unfolds.

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