HARD NUMBERS: Jewish orgs get mass threat, Canada’s inflation keeps falling, Harris’ fundraising dwarfs Trump’s, US jobs numbers revised downward

Shaar Liva Hebrew school and synagogue are operating in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on August 17, 2024
Shaar Liva Hebrew school and synagogue are operating in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on August 17, 2024
Creative Touch Imaging Ltd via Reuters Connect

100: More than 100 Jewish institutions across Canada received an identical bomb threat early Wednesday. The email warned of explosions at synagogues, community centers, and hospitals in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Authorities are investigating but said the risk was “low.” A recent poll showed a quarter of Canadians consider antisemitism a “serious problem.” Last year, attacks on Jews accounted for 70% of all hate crimes in Canada.

40: Annual inflation in Canada fell to its lowest level in about 40 months in July, as prices grew just 2.5%, down from 2.7% a month earlier. The good news is this gives the Bank of Canada room to continue cutting interest rates at its next rate-setting meeting in September. Markets now expect the regulator to slash rates by another 25 basis points, bringing the benchmark to 3.75%.

4: Good vibes make money, money makes good vibes. Kamala Harris’ main campaign fundraising group brought in four times as much money as her opponent Donald Trump’s in July, raising $204 million to the GOP nominee’s $48 million. The vice president also spent three times more than her rival that month as she looked to get herself on a firm footing after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.

818,000: The US economy created 818,000 fewer jobs than initially reported in the first quarter of this year, according to a regularly scheduled revision of figures released on Wednesday. If this number holds through the next review of these numbers (in February), it would be the largest downward correction for a quarterly jobs number in 15 years. But look for the Trump campaign to hammer Kamala Harris and the White House over this news well before then…

More from GZERO Media

Digital Saksham — saksham translates to “able” in Hindi — is a collaboration between the Confederation of Indian Industry and Mastercard Strive, a global philanthropic initiative to support small businesses. It’s part of a broader effort by the Indian government to unlock the full potential of micro and small enterprises — and part of Mastercard’s efforts to bring 50 million small businesses into the digital economy by 2025, a goal it recently met. Accessing digital tools can help small businesses scale up, reach new customers, and hire more employees. Read more about these efforts to equip small business owners — especially women — with the tools they need to build their businesses and become financially resilient.

- YouTube

Listen: On the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer examines the impact of Donald Trump’s return to office, exploring how his populist victory and the GOP’s control could reshape US governance amid historian Nicole Hemmer’s warning of “accelerating democratic erosion” and journalist Molly Ball's concerns over eroding checks on executive power.

Donald Trump gestures after taking the oath of office during his first inauguration in Washington, DC, in January 2017.

Olivier Douliery/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters

The US Justice Department on Friday charged three men with plotting to assassinate Donald Trump on the orders of the Iranian government.

Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters are guarded by police after violence targeting Israeli football fans broke out in Amsterdam overnight, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 8, 2024.
REUTERS/Ami Shooman/Israel Hayom

At least five people were hospitalized and 62 were arrested.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and former President Donald Trump, meeting in New York City on Sept. 27, 2024.
Reuters

Given the tumultuous nature of his initial four years in office, the world is now bracing for the impact of Trump’s return.

A protester looks on near a burning barricade during a "national shutdown" against the election outcome, in Maputo, Mozambique, on Nov. 7, 2024.
REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

In Mozambique, the opposition has accused the ruling FRELIMO party of stealing the country’s Oct. 9 election, and protests have since led to violence.