Hard Numbers: Canada goes COVID “zero,” US blue-collar boom, Russia’s call-up calamities, British books lighten up

September 26, 2022

A traveler walks past a "Mandatory COVID Testing" sign at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

0: Starting on Oct. 1, the Canadian government will impose zero COVID-related restrictions on international travelers. The Canucks’ vax requirements were lauded by public health experts, but they touched off a trucker-led occupation of downtown Ottawa and messed with US pro sports teams’ travel plans.

67,000: US factories now employ 67,000 more people than they did at the start of the pandemic as inflation and supply chain bottlenecks drive a US manufacturing sector job boom unlike any seen in 50 years.

54: Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, at least 54 Russian army recruitment centers have been attacked, with 17 of those incidents coming in the days since Vladimir Putin issued call-up orders last week, according to the independent Russian outlet Mediazona. On Monday, a man opened fire at a draft office in Siberia, wounding one official.

70: With paper costs rising as much as 70% this year, British publishers are making books from flimsier stock and pressing their editors to, well, edit more.

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Syria sees worst fighting since Assad’s fall

Syrian forces head to Latakia after fighters linked to Syria's ousted leader Bashar Assad mounted a deadly attack on government forces on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

Nearly 50 people were killed on Thursday in the deadliest clashes Syria has seen since the overthrow of Bashar Assad. Pro-Assad militants attacked security checkpoints around the western coastal town of Jableh, a stronghold of the former regime.

US may target Iranian tankers

The Liberian-flagged tanker Ice Energy, chartered by the US government, takes Iranian oil from Iranian-flagged Lana (formerly Pegas) as part of a civil forfeiture action off the shore of Karystos, on the Island of Evia, Greece, in May 2022.

REUTERS/Costas Baltas/File Photo

The Trump administration is reportedly considering a strategy to disrupt Iran’s oil exports by stopping and inspecting Iranian oil tankers at sea. The US would use the Proliferation Security Initiative, established in 2003 to prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, as a legal justification for the inspections.

Is the Trump revolution off to a good or bad start?

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol on March 4, 2025.

Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS

You didn’t need to sit through all 99 minutes of Trump’s peroration to know that he gave himself an A++ on his first six weeks in office, writes GZERO Publisher Evan Solomon. But if Trump gets to grade himself, maybe it’s time for a more objective report card — one that looks at two criteria: Trump as a dealmaker and Trump as a manager.

Key findings on global energy security, innovation, and market viability

BMW Foundation

The Energy Security Hub at the 2025 Munich Security Conference featured in-depth discussions on energy innovation, security, and market viability. Fatih Birol, IEA executive director, discussed growing global energy demand, especially the rapid rise in electricity outpacing overall growth. He noted electricity demand is projected to increase six times faster than total energy in 10 years, underscoring the need for electrification and grid expansion. As energy systems become decentralized and digitalized, the CEO of E.ON, Leonhard Birnbaum, said: “You’re either fully digitized – or you’re done.” Key takeaways: Energy security requires developing and securing electricity grids Technological openness is a unifying element for getting to net zero Bridge the “Valley of Death” to scale markets New global partnerships will help Europe stay competitive Public acceptance will strengthen democracy You can read the full Executive Summary from the BMW Foundation here.

Supreme Court orders release of foreign aid funds

a crowd of people outside of a white building

Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

In a 5-4 split decision, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to disburse nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funds for work completed by contractors and grant recipients under the US Agency for International Development and the State Department. Does this tell us much about how the top court will handle future Trump-related cases?

Hard Numbers: Canada goes COVID “zero,” US blue-collar boom, Russia’s call-up calamities, British books lighten up

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Syria sees worst fighting since Assad’s fall

Nearly 50 people were killed on Thursday in the deadliest clashes Syria has seen since the overthrow of Bashar Assad. Pro-Assad militants attacked security checkpoints around the western coastal town of Jableh, a stronghold of the former regime.

US may target Iranian tankers

Europe to “spend, spend, spend” on defense – but how?

EU leaders met in Brussels on Thursday to answer two big questions: How can Europe defend Ukraine in the short term and defend itself in the long term?

Are Trump’s massive government layoffs permanent?

The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported on Thursday that US employer layoffs surged by 245% last month — the largest spike since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hard Numbers … in honor of International Women’s Day, March 8

30: The United Nations has released a new report assessing progress on women’s rights worldwide 30 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark agreement for advancing gender equality, was adopted.

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Trump issues Hamas a “last warning”

US presidents don’t typically talk to organizations the US government has labeled terrorist groups, but Donald Trump is not a typical US president.

You vs. the News: GZERO’s Weekly News Quiz

Which country has recently seen a big spike in applications for citizenship from US nationals?

Is the Trump revolution off to a good or bad start?

Key findings on global energy security, innovation, and market viability

Supreme Court orders release of foreign aid funds

Hard Numbers: Canada goes COVID “zero,” US blue-collar boom, Russia’s call-up calamities, British books lighten up

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

Nearly 50 people were killed on Thursday in the deadliest clashes Syria has seen since the overthrow of Bashar Assad. Pro-Assad militants attacked security checkpoints around the western coastal town of Jableh, a stronghold of the former regime.

EU leaders met in Brussels on Thursday to answer two big questions: How can Europe defend Ukraine in the short term and defend itself in the long term?

The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported on Thursday that US employer layoffs surged by 245% last month — the largest spike since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

30: The United Nations has released a new report assessing progress on women’s rights worldwide 30 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark agreement for advancing gender equality, was adopted.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

US presidents don’t typically talk to organizations the US government has labeled terrorist groups, but Donald Trump is not a typical US president.

Which country has recently seen a big spike in applications for citizenship from US nationals?