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The Fed Decides Wednesday — Here's What It Means for Your Mortgage, the Loonie, and Your RRSP

  Monday, July 27, 2026 The U.S. Federal Reserve hands down its rate decision at 2 p.m. ET on July 29. For most Canadians it will feel like background noise. It isn't — here's the plain-language version of why it touches your mortgage, your cross-border spending, and whatever's sitting in your RRSP. The short version: Markets are pricing roughly a two-in-three chance the Fed holds its rate at 3.50%–3.75% on Wednesday. That's not the story. The story is that this is one of the least certain "sure thing" holds in years — and Chair Kevin Warsh's press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET could matter more than the decision itself. Why this meeting is different The Fed has held its benchmark rate steady at 3.50%–3.75% through every meeting so far in 2026. On paper, Wednesday should be more of the same. Under the hood, it's messier. Persistent inflation, running well above the Fed's 2% target for a fifth straight year, has kept a rate hike on the table. The oil-...

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Sweeping Layoffs Reshape the US Department of Health and Human Services

In a significant restructuring move, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated mass layoffs, with up to 10,000 employees expected to be affected. Notices of dismissal began circulating on Tuesday, marking the start of a major overhaul aimed at streamlining the department's operations. This reduction follows a series of executive actions, including the revocation of collective bargaining rights for federal health agency workers.

The layoffs span multiple agencies under HHS, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Critics warn that these cuts could undermine the nation's ability to respond to health emergencies and ongoing disease threats. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the move, describing it as a necessary step to improve efficiency and reduce bureaucracy.

The restructuring also includes the creation of a new office, the Administration for a Healthy America, which will consolidate several programs. While the administration argues that these changes will lead to better outcomes with fewer resources, concerns about the potential impact on public health services remain high.

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