(0:00 - 0:06) I'm Hannah Bern. And I'm Will Dove. And these are the top stories for today, Thursday, June 26. (0:07 - 0:37) In today's news, a special report on precipitously declining birth rates in Canada in recent years, Canada Post forecasts billions in annual losses and an inability to shift from letter to parcel shipping, and how AI is now powering nudging, a technique to influence your behavior. Massive depopulation is one of the stated goals of the globalists. We've prepared a special report for you on birth rates in Canada, and the data is alarming, to say the least. (0:38 - 1:19) Our analysis based on Statistics Canada data highlights a significant shift in family planning among Canadian adults aged 20 to 39, with fewer intending to have children compared to just a decade ago. The findings, drawn from reports published in 2021 and 2023, show that both intent and actual family size have declined notably over the past 10 years, raising concerns about population replacement rates. The average number of children per woman, as measured by the Total Fertility Rate, or TFR, dropped from 1.61 in 2012 to 1.26 in 2023. (1:20 - 1:55) This represents a significant decline from earlier stability, as the TFR was relatively steady between 2002 and 2012. The replacement rate required to maintain a stable population is 2.1 children per woman, the current rate of 1.26 points to a sharp demographic decline. These figures come from a 2023 StatsCan report that notes 2022 and 2023 as having the lowest birth rates per capita in Canadian history. (1:55 - 2:37) Data on age-specific intentions is limited, but a 2021 study provides insights into fertility plans among Canadians aged 15 to 49. For the 25 to 34 age group, 30.5% reported wanting fewer children or to delay childbearing, compared to 21% for ages 15 to 24 and 10% for ages 35 to 49. In 2021, 24% of Canadians aged 15 to 49 adjusted their fertility plans, with 19% wanting fewer children or to delay, and only 4% wanting more or sooner. (2:37 - 3:18) The most significant shift was among 25 to 34 year olds, where 30.5% reported reduced or delayed plans. When asked about factors influencing decisions to have smaller families, delay childbearing, or even remain childless, the majority of respondents cited financial concerns, feeling that the cost of raising a family in Canada has become prohibitive. Canada Post is projecting massive financial losses in the coming years, with pre-tax losses after federal loans expected to reach nearly $1 billion this year and surpass $1.3 billion by 2029, according to a management report presented to Parliament. (3:19 - 4:00) The Crown Corporation's corporate plan for 2025 to 2029 warns that even with new federal loans and two recent Cabinet-approved rate hikes, increasing stamp prices from $0.92 to $1.24 for domestic letters and bringing an additional $102.2 million annually, the Postal Service remains financially unsustainable. Canada Post's management has bluntly stated that government funding is now a necessity to cover operational costs. The rate increases failed to halt the growing financial shortfall, and the corporation emphasizes that significant modernization is needed to adapt to the ongoing shift from traditional mail to parcel delivery. (4:00 - 4:21) The report warns that without government cash injections, annual losses could exceed $900 million as early as this year. The Postal System's structural challenges are compounded by ongoing labor disputes. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, representing 55,000 employees, has been locked in tense negotiations with management. (4:22 - 4:53) Earlier this month, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu urged both sides to consider binding arbitration with the threat of an imposed settlement if talks fail. An agreement was recently reached with Canada Post's second-largest union, resulting in an 11% wage increase over three years for 8,500 employees, retroactive to January 2024 after 18 months of negotiations. However, a larger 14% offer over four years for the rest of the workforce was rejected. (4:54 - 5:25) The corporation's woes deepened following a 32-day strike in November last year, which cost $208 million and caused e-commerce companies to switch to other courier services. The work stoppage delayed millions of letters and packages, leading to a 65% drop in parcel volumes and a 12% overall decrease in annual revenues. Parcel income dropped by 20%, transaction mail by 5.3%, and direct marketing by 3%, according to official statistics. (5:26 - 6:16) Canada Post has accumulated $3.8 billion in losses since 2017, and management warns that lengthy arbitration could exacerbate the corporation's financial crisis. According to new scrutiny on modern digital habits, subtle psychological techniques known as nudging now shape nearly every consumer choice, often so invisibly effective that users are unaware of being influenced. The concept of nudging, popularized in the 2008 book Nudge by Nobel Prize winners Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, is defined as any aspect of choice architecture that alters people's behavior predictably without restricting options. (6:17 - 6:48) Essentially, it's a design feature that gently steers people toward a specific action by leveraging cognitive biases. Key psychological mechanisms exploited by digital platforms include loss aversion, fear of missing out, social proof, following what others do, default bias, accepting pre-selected options, present bias, preferring immediate rewards, and cognitive load, choosing the easiest path under pressure. These mechanisms are powerful psychological levers. (6:49 - 7:17) A striking example from public health. In the Netherlands, simply moving fruit to eye level at train station kiosks led to a significant increase in fruit purchases, an example of nudging promoting positive behaviors. Similarly, in South Africa, publicizing household water use and highlighting green homes resulted in a 25% drop in consumption during a water crisis, a clear demonstration of social proof in action. (7:18 - 7:35) But while nudging can be used for public good, its widespread adoption for profit in the digital age is raising alarms. A timeline of its corporate adoption is revealing. In 2012, Netflix introduced autoplay, encouraging binge watching. (7:35 - 8:08) By 2014, Booking.com was using urgency messages like, only one room left, to boost bookings. Amazon's personalized recommendations, launched in 2015, now account for 35% of their sales. Uber's preset tipping options, introduced in 2017, increased average tips, and McDonald's self-service kiosks, introduced in 2018, increased order sizes by 15% as patrons could order as much as they wanted without fear of judgment. (8:09 - 8:30) With machine learning and AI, nudging is becoming even more sophisticated. Hyper-nudging, as described by Karen Jung in 2017, refers to real-time, personalized nudges based on user behavior, location, and even mood, making behavioral control ever more pervasive. I'm Hannah Bern. (8:31 - 8:48) And I'm Will Dove. And those are the top stories for today. In tonight's audio news, RFK Jr.'s newly-appointed vaccine panel will review jabs for kids in the U.S. The WEF is seeking to repair ties with founder Klaus Schwab, after he was accused of embezzlement recently. (8:49 - 8:51) And North Korea is opening a beach resort for tourists.