Learners Live

Did you Know?
Menu

Canada Announces Counter-Tariffs Against the United States

William Attardi on September 9, 2026

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs against the United States’ tariffs on August 22 took effect at 12:01 a.m. today, covering approximately $27.6 billion of U.S.-origin goods at rates of 15%, 25%, or 50%. The measures apply only to goods originating in the United States; U.S. goods already in transit to Canada today are exempt. Among the electrical-related items (see the full listfor specific exclusions and details):

  • Copper wire:multiple refined-copper wire classifications carry a 50% tariff.
  • Aluminum wire:multiple aluminum and aluminum-alloy wire classifications carry a 50% tariff.
  • Aluminum stranded wire and cable that is not electrically insulated, including steel-core conductor, carries a 50% tariff.
  • Other insulated electric conductors rated at 1,000 V or lessunder tariff item 8544.49.00 carry a 25% tariff.
  • LED ceiling and wall luminaires, plus certain other LED luminaires, carry a 50% tariff.

Canada Announces Counter-Tariffs Against the United States – tEDmag

Wholesale Sales Surge in May as Electrical Products Stay Strong

William Attardi on July 12, 2026

U.S. wholesale sales posted another strong gain in May, led in part by continued strength in electrical products, even as inventory growth slowed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest Monthly Wholesale Trade Report. Electrical wholesalers reported one of the strongest performances among durable goods sectors in May, with sales up 6.2% from April and 37.2% year over year. Inventories increased 22.2% from a year ago, while the inventory-to-sales ratio improved to 0.87 from 0.97 last May, indicating faster inventory turnover. Wholesale Sales Surge in May as Electrical Products Stay Strong – tEDmag

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names