Skip to main content

Featured

Premiers Split on Using Potash as a Trade Weapon — What It Means for Your Grocery Bill

  Published August 31, 2026 Canada's premiers can't agree on how far to take the trade war with the United States — and this week, the fight is over a grey mineral mined almost 2,000 kilometres from Ottawa: potash. The disagreement matters well beyond provincial politics. Potash is the "P" and "K" of fertilizer economics — a key ingredient in the blends that grow the wheat, canola, and corn that eventually show up as bread, canola oil, and everything fed to livestock. Canada supplies about 85% of the potash the U.S. uses, which is exactly why some premiers see it as leverage — and why others are warning that pulling that lever could backfire on the very provinces pushing for it. Ford wants to pull the lever. Moe and Smith are warning not to. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pushing for the toughest response available, including resource-based leverage. Saskatchewan's Scott Moe and Alberta's Danielle Smith are pumping the brakes, warning that squeezing po...

article

Alzheimer’s Drug Donanemab Receives FDA Advisers’ Endorsement for Slowing Disease Progression

 

A significant milestone has been reached in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Eli Lilly’s closely watched Alzheimer’s drug, donanemab, has won the unanimous backing of federal health advisers. The drug is specifically intended for people with mild dementia caused by this brain-robbing disease.

The decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers comes after careful consideration of the drug’s benefits and risks. Donanemab has demonstrated the ability to modestly slow cognitive decline and memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s. Although it’s not a cure, this endorsement represents a promising step forward in managing the disease.

Here are the key points:

  1. Effectiveness: Donanemab has shown effectiveness in slowing cognitive decline. Patients who received monthly intravenous infusions of the drug declined about 35% more slowly than those who received a placebo.
  2. Risk Assessment: The FDA panel weighed the risks, including side effects like brain swelling and bleeding, which will need monitoring. Despite these risks, the panel concluded that the drug’s benefits outweighed them.
  3. Tau Protein Screening: Unlike previous concerns about tau protein screening, most panelists believed there was enough evidence to prescribe the drug broadly without requiring such screening.
  4. FDA Decision: The FDA will make the final decision on approval later this year. If approved, donanemab would become only the second Alzheimer’s drug in the U.S. shown to convincingly slow cognitive decline.

This endorsement brings hope to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s, and we eagerly await the FDA’s final decision. Stay tuned for further updates on this groundbreaking development! 

Comments