The US and Canada keep shooting things out of the sky—but so far are staying mum about what those things are.

Driving the news: A US fighter jet downed a UFO (and we mean that in the literal, not extra-terrestrial, sense) in Canada’s airspace over the weekend. 

• NORAD detected the craft over Alaska on Friday, and President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau agreed to bring it down over Yukon on Saturday.
   
• Defence Minister Anita Anand described it as a “cylindrical object” smaller than the Chinese balloon shot down earlier this month.

And that’s not all. UFOs have been popping up (and getting shot down) everywhere over the past few days.

• The US military took down an object flying near Alaska on Friday, and another over Lake Huron yesterday.
   
• China reported that it was preparing to shoot down an object detected near a major naval base.

Why it matters: The sudden appearance of multiple UFOs has many people wondering what’s flying around up there.

• One US official told The Washington Post that NORAD is likely detecting more objects because it has loosened its “filters” for information from its network of radar and sensors.
   
• US Senator Chuck Schumer said the objects downed by NORAD were likely balloons but didn’t explain what their purpose was.

Bottom line: The truth may be out there, but we don’t have it yet—though investigations of recovered wreckage could soon offer more answers.

Lawmaker mulls TikTok ban. US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said a ban of the social media app “should be looked at,” becoming the latest high-profile American politician to indicate receptiveness to the idea. Western officials are worried about users’ data privacy as well as Chinese government spying. (Bloomberg)

Meta braces for more job cuts. After slashing 11,000 jobs in November, Facebook’s parent company is preparing for more layoffs, probably in March. It’s part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy to make 2023 the company’s “year of efficiency,” and has left project managers uncertain about what their budgets are going to look like (which, ironically, has slowed down work). (Forbes)

Turkey’s economic aftershocks. The country will suffer losses equivalent to around 10% of its GDP as a result of the massive earthquakes that rocked the country earlier this month, according to a domestic business group. Turkish authorities are now investigating real estate developers connected to buildings that crumbled during the quakes, alleging they used shoddy construction practices. (BNN Bloomberg)

📉 Fresh inflation numbers. The latest consumer price figures for the US and the UK will come out on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Analysts expect both countries will report slowing price growth in January: 6.2% in the US (down from 6.5% in December) and 10.2% in the UK (down from 10.5%). 

📦 Shopify reports earnings. Canada’s biggest tech company will give us an update on the state of e-commerce this week. It’s been doing everything it can to reach new users, from launching a live-video shopping feature (watch out, The Shopping Channel!) to promising merchants first dibs on shipping container space as part of a new “port to porch” logistics strategy. 

🏠 Housing starts. We’ll get some new data on Wednesday about Canada’s biggest economic driver: real estate. “Housing starts” refers to how many houses got started in a given period—that is, how many construction projects got underway. The figures coming out this week will be for January, right around when the Bank of Canada announced it was putting interest rate hikes on pause. 

Maple syrup producers are tapping their trees earlier than ever, thanks to a changing climate. And for many Canadian producers, that means more sap on tap.

Driving the news: The syrup sector is experiencing another early harvest. Sugar maples produce sap when temperatures go from freezing to a mild thaw. 

• “We’re seeing the maples trying to run in January when they’re really not supposed to,” said a Québec maple farmer.
   
• Québec, which accounts for 71% of all maple syrup production, had a record bounty last year, which also saw an early harvest.

Why it’s happening: In the old days, syrup producers would expect that to happen later in the winter season, but the warmer weather brought on by climate change is making them spring into action a bit sooner.

• “Over the last 20 years or more we've seen the seasons start earlier and earlier,” said the head of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers' Association.

Why it matters: With more northern trees starting to see sap-friendly temperatures and southern forests not getting much of a winter at all, climate change is likely to benefit Canadian producers and hurt those south of the border.

• A maple syrup-focused agricultural research group thinks Québec has the potential for ten times as much sap as it’s harvesting now.

What’s next: Syrup makers in Québec are already planting new maples north of the St. Lawrence River, and some producers are renting government land to add tens of thousands of new taps.

1. Be kind. 
2. Consider your team’s needs. 
3. Offer them support with Inkblot. 

• Secure virtual therapy sessions 
• Personalized therapist matching
• No long wait lists or time between appointments 
• Career coaching, financial advice, and more

🚗64. Number of stolen cars returned to Canada after authorities found them stashed in shipping containers in Malta. Cumulatively valued at $3.5 million, the cars had been taken from driveways across the Greater Toronto Area.

💰$55.7 billion. Profits (in USD) of oil giant ExxonMobil last year. Together, the six biggest western oil companies made over $200 billion–more than the group has ever made in any other year–thanks in part to energy market disruption from the Russia-Ukraine war.

☕100. Amount of “stars” needed to buy a Starbucks coffee through the chain’s loyalty rewards program beginning today, a big jump from the 50 charged previously.

• Want to beat the stock market? Motley Fool Canada has done that for nearly a decade, and now they’re giving away their top 10 stocks. Get the full list today.*

• This 7-foot-6 Montrealer is the world’s tallest teenager.
  
  
• Check out these incredible shots from the winners of the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year Awards.
  
  
• A bartender makes AI-generated cocktail recipes (with mixed results).
  
  
• Don’t try this on the Trans-Canada Highway: Watch what it’s like to drive at 420 km/h on the Autobahn.
  
  
• Less original content, more sports—this is what TV will look like in three years, according to industry insiders.

*This is sponsored content.

Figure out the Unidentified FUN Objects in today’s mini-crossword!

What did you think of today's newsletter? 🤔
 

Great 😃  /  Solid 🙂  /  Meh 😐