‘Amazing Race Canada' Maker Insight Productions Promotes Trio To Co-Chief Content Officer Roles
Erin Brock, Lindsay Cox and Mark Lysakowski have all assumed the role, effective immediately, with the three overseeing the Amazing Race Canada and Big Brother Canada producer's output. Alongside CEO and Chairman John Brunton, they will also steer strategic planning and expansion plans. All three continue to report to Brunton.
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Between them, the trio oversee the likes of Big Brother, now in its 12th season; The Amazing Race (11 seasons of Canada's highest-rated Canadian series of all time); Canadian Idol; Canada's Ultimate Challenge; The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration; The JUNO Awards; Battle of the Blades; Stronger Together and Tous Ensemble.
In further news, Alison Popowich, who assists with corporate strategy and planning, has been named Director of Corporate Affairs.
'With heartfelt thanks to the best, most dedicated team in the business, these promotions position Insight to do our best work domestically as we continue to expand our international development and production slates, and our business around the world,' said Brunton.
Insight recently announced casting is underway for Paramount+ series Canada Shore (working title), the local version of MTV's Jersey Shore. Brock is serving as showrunner.
Today's news also follow Brunton and Michel St-Cyr, executive producer and founding shareholder of Groupe Fair-Play, partnering their companies to develop and produce projects in both official Canadian languages across multiple genres including formats, variety, live specials, competition reality, and social experiment, potentially shooting English and French versions concurrently.
The partnership, initiated and overseen by Brunton and Cox, sees the two companies developing original content to expand their footholds domestically and internationally.
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Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Countries push for last-minute deals as Thursday tariff deadline looms
An array of trade crosscurrents continued in Tuesday afternoon. There has been a push for last-minute deals, continued fuzziness on previously announced trade commitments—and an indication from President Trump that a deal to delay tariffs on China is "close." It all comes as global importers brace for the Thursday morning deadline. That's when President Trump promises to implement a central plank of his trade agenda: a tiered approach to "reciprocal" tariffs from 10% to 50%. Meanwhile, talks continued on varied fronts. For example, the Swiss president announced she would fly to Washington to try to win last-minute concessions. She added Tuesday that "the aim is to present a more attractive offer to the United States" to avert a 39% tariff on goods from her nation. Meanwhile India faces a divergent situation, with Trump telling CNBC Tuesday morning "we settled on 25% [tariffs], but I think I am going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours." India has slammed Trump's threats as unjustified and has seen its chances of a deal dwindle with top aides for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reportedly traveling this week — but not to the US but instead to Moscow. It's part of flurry of last minute moves and a message from Trump that he's full-speed ahead with no plans to delay a tariff increase starting Thursday. For rolling updates on tariffs, check out our liveblog > He even teased during the CNBC appearance that he probably won't run for president again, but that he'd like to, in part because, in his view, "people love the tariffs." (Trump is, of course, barred by the Constitution from running for a third term, but he's often floated the idea.) Switzerland and India are two countries currently on the outside looking in but even nations that recently struck a trade deal continued to try and prepare for the tariff piece to take effect. Japan's top trade negotiator is also reportedly due in Washington, D.C. this week for talks to ensure that a plan proceeds to cut auto tariffs to 15%. Likewise, talks with the EU continue as negotiators there are reportedly still pushing for exemptions, such as on wine and spirits. Trump also weighed in Tuesday morning on talks with China. Markets are closely watching for any signs of an agreement to delay a tariff snapback scheduled for Aug. 12, with Trump saying, "We're getting very close to a deal." Trump also suggested it was likely that "at some point in the not too distant future" he would meet with President Xi Jinping. The president also added that new sector-specific tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals are likely and that at least those pharmaceutical tariffs could be announced "within the next week or so." Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet New details for some nations — and a focus on India and Switzerland There is also some new clarity on some technical details around how the new tariff landscape will likely work beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday. US customs officials this week offered additional technical guidance in a new document about how it'll handle some tariff exemptions. The news there may give some select importers a short-term breather. But with a full tally, according to Bloomberg Economics, the average US tariff rate is now expected to rise to 15.2% if duties go forward as planned. That's a jump from current rates of 13.3% and another jump from the 2.3% duties seen in 2024 before Trump took office. That overall landscape set to be in effect Thursday will cover nearly every country on the globe. It also comes after Trump and his team set "bespoke" rates largely based on the trade deficit, with many of America's top trading partners seeing a key new standard of 15% tariff, while others will see higher rates. Read more: 5 ways to tariff-proof your finances Countries from the European Union to South Korea to Japan also struck deals at that 15% rate, but open questions remain. Other Asian countries have struck deals in the 19%-20% range. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently said on CBS that the published rates included many agreements, "some of these deals are announced, some are not," with other nations simply being dictated tariffs based on the level of the trade deficit. Switzerland is one nation for which the US has dictated tariffs. Its delegation will be in Washington on Tuesday, set to push for lower rates. But on Tuesday morning, Trump suggested that it would be an uphill climb and that a recent call with the country didn't go well because "they essentially pay no tariffs," even as talks are clearly set to continue there. As for India, any immediate offramp appears unlikely because of that nation's connections with Russia and Russian oil. A note Tuesday from Capital Economics suggested that India could, in theory, offer concessions to diversify its energy sources, "but we doubt that India would make a wholehearted effort to wean itself off Russian oil [as it could upset relations and] it would not play well to be seen caving to Trump's demands." At the same time, reports from Bloomberg and the Times of India revealed that two top aides to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are traveling not to the US but to Russia in the coming days and weeks— even amid Trump's ever-escalating threats. Trump on Tuesday morning suggested talks are on ice for now and will be complicated when they resume, adding that "the sticking point with India is that tariffs are too high." This story has been updated with additional developments. Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow's stock prices Sign in to access your portfolio
Chicago Tribune
31 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Buzz wears off for Michigan's marijuana businesses
When Greenhouse of Walled Lake, Michigan, opened in 2019, it catered to Michigan's medical marijuana market, and business was booming. Recreational marijuana sales began later that year statewide, opening the door to new customers — and competitors. As the state's cannabis market took off, new operators flooded in and profit margins thinned. 'We're oversaturated,' said Jerry Millen, owner of Greenhouse. 'Too much product, too many stores to the point where people are just giving the product away.' Michigan's marijuana industry is showing signs of strain as companies deal with oversupply, falling prices and tightening margins. And it's forcing some operators to scale back or shut down entirely: the most notable recent retreat from the once-booming Michigan market is Canadian cannabis giant TerrAscend. In late June, the publicly traded corporation announced its 'strategic exit' from Michigan, declaring it intended to sell or divest all its assets in the state, which include four growing facilities, 20 dispensaries and real estate. The net proceeds from that pullback, the company said, would be used to pay down its debt. TerrAscend officials declined comment for this story. However, in the company's June statement, Executive Chairman Jason Wild said: 'Michigan is an extremely difficult market and we have to come to the realization that our resources can be better utilized in other markets. This move will unlock value for TerrAscend and its shareholders.' The industry's retreat has hit the college town of Ann Arbor, too. Dispensaries Arbors Wellness, Leaf and Bud, and Misty Mountain have all recently closed. TerrAscend's Cookies location in Ann Arbor is set to close on Aug. 31, a front desk worker said. Sales slump According to Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency, in June 2025, both medical and adult-use recreational marijuana sales declined from the previous month. Medical sales fell 12%, from $553,315 in May to $487,087 in June. Adult-use sales dropped 4.2%, from $272.1 million to $260.6 million for the same period. Combined cannabis sales totaled $261.1 million in June, down $11.5 million, or 4.2%, from May. For the first six months of 2025, total cannabis sales were $1.58 billion, down $10.4 million, or 0.7%, from the same period in 2024. Adult-use sales totaled $1.57 billion, compared to $1.58 billion the year before. Medical sales dropped sharply, falling 72% from $12.7 million in the first half of 2024 to $3.5 million in 2025. A slowdown in sales could be due to a number of factors, said Aidan Bergsman, data scientist and senior analyst for Anderson Economic Group. Cannabis sales in Michigan began to plateau around August 2024, coinciding with the launch of Ohio's recreational market. 'You had a lot of Ohio residents crossing over to Michigan, especially for adult-use products,' Bergsman said. 'When Ohio legalized and implemented their program, that cross-border activity decreased, and that definitely shows up in Michigan's numbers.' There's also a shift from traditional retail outlets toward home cultivation and getting cannabis from friends or family, he said. There also might be cases where consumers are choosing between marijuana and alcoholic beverages, due to limited budgets. 'Consumers only have so much that they're spending on these types of products,' he said. What's left are too many marijuana businesses for too few customers. As a result, some companies feel pressure to reduce prices or to sell inferior products, said Greenhouse's Millen. That's not sustainable. 'You get what you pay for,' he said. 'If people want cheap weed, I get it, I get it. But there's a lot of good products out there that are not super cheap, but they're a better product. And I think you get what you pay for.' Millen said revenue at his store has fallen about 50% so far, with profits down about 70% over a two-year period. He's been able to maintain his business due to a loyal customer base. 'I'm just glad that we're profitable,' he said. 'Because 90% of these people in Michigan right now, I guarantee you are not profitable. And how long can that sustain for? Everybody's waiting for the big break. What's the big break? The big break is going to be when half the businesses go out, unfortunately. And it's going to happen.' Vendors are begging him to carry their products, he said: 'I feel terrible that I can't buy it. Because if I can't sell it, I can't buy it.' Nick Hannawa, vice president and part-owner of Puff Cannabis, said prices have dropped significantly, allowing customers to buy much more for the same amount of money compared to a few years ago. The company has 11 dispensaries in Michigan, according to its website. 'One vape purchase back in 2019, let's say, it was $50,' he said. 'Today, that same vape cartridge, you can get six of them for $50. Let's say that $100 that you spent in a retail store in 2019, 2020 — that $100 would be max four items. Today that same $100 will get you 10 items, for example. Whether that's gummies, whether that's vapes, whether that's chocolate bars or joints, or whatever it may be.' Puff Cannabis started in Bay City in 2019, when the market was still limited and few licenses were issued. It was among the first recreational cannabis stores in the state, which helped attract customers from across Michigan and neighboring states, Hannawa said. 'We've been able to weather the storm,' he said. 'Puff has been able to weather the storm because we do high volume, and we built a culture and a brand that people come back to. Like our Puff rewards program is a big deal, so we're able to retain the customer.' 'Not a good look' TerrAscend said its exit from Michigan would likely be completed by the 'second half of 2025.' It comes with a 21% downsizing of the firm's 1,200-person workforce. The company operates 20 dispensaries and four cultivation sites across the state, including locations in Detroit, Ferndale, Warren and Harrison Township. Wild said the company would pivot to concentrating its 'efforts and resources in the Company's core northeastern U.S. markets,' of New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Several TerrAscend dispensaries are preparing to close across Metro Detroit. An employee at Cookies in Oxford said the store's last day was July 30. Staff at Lemonnade in Center Line and Gage Cannabis in Adrian said their locations will close on Aug. 31. A front-desk worker at Cookies Detroit said she wasn't sure when that location would shut down. Departures like TerrAscend's hurt Michigan's image, Hannawa said: 'For this big publicly traded company to come in and do this and then have to exit out of the market, it's not a good look for us. It doesn't put the Michigan market in a good light, because it's showing that it's weak, because these guys are leaving.' Pricing has a big impact. The decline in pricing not only impacts retailers, Hannawa said, but it also affects growers and processors because they're forced to sell their products for cheap. The drop in prices also slows repeat business because customers don't have to visit the store as often. 'We don't want to see growers shuttering their doors,' he said. 'We don't want to see processors losing money or farmers losing money. We kind of want everyone to be successful.' A 'very difficult market' Kevin Sabet is the director of the advocacy organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana, which aims to curb the commercialization of marijuana. The group likens the marijuana industry to 'Big Tobacco,' arguing it prioritizes profits over consumers' health as cannabis products become increasingly potent. The retreat from the Michigan market by cannabis giants is consistent with a national trend, Sabet said. General oversaturation of the country's marijuana market is causing similar pullbacks in other states previously seen as gold mines for legal cannabis sellers, like California. Part of the issue is inherent to the plant, he said. The marijuana market is 'very difficult' because the plant 'grows everywhere.' 'That's why it's called 'weed,'' Sabet said. Another challenge, he said, is that legal marijuana sellers must compete with black-market sellers, who don't face regulatory burdens like licensing and taxes. Those illegal sellers include criminal enterprises based in foreign countries like Mexico, Colombia and China that run illegal 'grow operations' in the United States and traffic the product here. 'So if you were going to be able to have illegal entities undercut the taxed, legal product, you were going to have a successful business on the illegal side,' Sabet said. Sabet, who served as a drug policy adviser to three U.S. presidents, said he and others could see the marijuana industry's woes coming from a 'mile away.' 'We've never regulated something dangerous very well in this country,' he said. Ideas for aiding the industry As challenges continue, Michigan's cannabis business owners have a few ideas for how to help the industry. Hannawa said he would like to see the state act to stabilize Michigan's cannabis market. He wants to see price increases so businesses can remain profitable and a halt to new licenses. 'Giving out more licenses in Michigan doesn't make any sense anymore,' he said. 'We have enough processors. We have enough growers.' Millen said he would like to see federal legalization, which would result in tax savings for marijuana businesses. He said there should be fewer licenses and stores, with support for knowledgeable local businesses rather than corporate operators. He's also calling for lawmakers to work with industry entrepreneurs to create fair, realistic regulations: 'The lawmakers need to sit down with people like myself and other good players for this industry, and talk to us about what needs to change.' Millen also has a message for consumers. 'Find out who and where you're buying your cannabis from and what they stand for,' he said. 'If you truly believe in what you're buying, you should know that you're buying from good people.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Canada's trade struggles to 'find new footing' as exports to U.S. drop 12.5%
Canada's latest trade numbers indicate that the ongoing dispute with the United States continues to take its toll, with steel, aluminum and automobiles 'bearing the brunt.' Statistics Canada data released Tuesday revealed the trade deficit grew to $5.9 billion in June from a downwardly revised $5.5 billion the month before, as imports outpaced exports, rising 1.4 per cent versus 0.9 per cent. 'Canada's deficit in goods trade was little changed in June, albeit with plenty of moving pieces in the detail due to U.S. tariff policy,' Andrew Grantham, an economist with CIBC Capital Markets, said in a note, adding that 'Canadian trade still hasn't found a new footing.' Details behind the numbers belied an apparent increase in trade activity. Imports rose due to a one-off shipment of industrial machinery to a Newfoundland oil project, while exports rose mainly on a jump in the price of oil. Minus those factors, Grantham said imports shrank nearly two per cent and exports fell 0.4 per cent when adjusted for inflation. 'While trade flows should stabilize in the months ahead, the level of trade will remain lower than it was previously due to ongoing U.S. tariff policy and related uncertainty,' Grantham said. Exports to the U.S. were down 12.5 per cent in June from the same time last year, while imports were down 4.2 per cent year over year. Economists attribute the bulk of the decrease in U.S. exports to the ongoing decline in shipments of aluminum and steel, with the doubling of tariffs to 50 per cent from 25 per cent having a 'clear impact,' Grantham said, adding that exports in both sectors were down just over 11 per cent, their lowest levels since 2020. Auto exports were also down, falling 4.2 per cent on the month to lows not seen since late 2022. Shelly Kaushik, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a note that auto exports were down 8.5 per cent year over year 'alongside slower domestic production.' CIBC's Grantham estimated that trade to the U.S. accounted for 70 per cent of exports, which is up from May but still below the 75 per cent average. Marc Ercolao, an economist at Toronto-Dominino Bank, said in a note he believes that exports will continue to recover after nearly hitting a five-year low in April. 'It is the sectors impacted by tariffs — steel, aluminum, autos and energy — that continue to disproportionately bear the brunt of the shock,' he said. June's data also closed the books on the second quarter, and Ercolao thinks trade will put a 'substantial dent' in Canada's economic growth. TD is forecasting the economy will contract two per cent in the second quarter, annualized from the first quarter. One bright spot in the trade report was the apparent resilience of the increase in exports to other countries. U.S. trade gap narrows to tightest since 2023 on drop in imports 'The mood is dour': Threat of trade deal delay weighs on some sectors more than others Although exports to non-U.S. trading partners pulled back in June, goods shipped to China, Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom, South Korea and the Netherlands rose year-over-year for the month. 'When compared with the same month in 2024, exports to destinations other than the United States were up 14.7 per cent in June 2025,' Statistics Canada said in a press release. 'Canadian export rotation into non-U.S. markets is appearing to have some staying power, a trend policymakers would like to see persist,' Ercolao said. • Email: gmvsuhanic@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
