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5 Things to Know Today: July 29, 2026

  Wednesday, July 29, 2026 A fresh Iran missile attack has oil swinging again, the TSX just set another record, the Fed decides this afternoon, Microsoft and Meta report tonight, and your CPP deposit lands today. Here's what it means for your wallet. 1. Your CPP payment lands today Wednesday, July 29 is a Canada Pension Plan deposit day — the seventh of twelve scheduled payments this year and the last one before the August cycle. If you're collecting the maximum retirement pension starting at 65, you'll see $1,507.65 land in your account. The average new beneficiary starting at 65 receives $877.01 . Your amount will match what you received in June: CPP is indexed only once a year, in January (this year's bump was 2.0%), so there's no mid-year change. The next adjustment arrives with the January 2027 deposit. What it means for you: If your deposit is smaller than expected, it's almost always something individual — an early-start reduction, tax withholding, or a...

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Revolutionary Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Deaf Toddler

 

In a remarkable medical breakthrough, an 18-month-old toddler named Opal Sandy has regained her hearing thanks to a pioneering gene therapy trial. Born deaf due to a rare genetic condition affecting the OTOF gene, which is responsible for producing a protein essential for hearing, Opal’s prospects for natural hearing were bleak. However, the innovative treatment at Cambridge University Hospitals in England has opened up a world of sound for her.

The procedure involved the infusion of a working copy of the OTOF gene into Opal’s right ear, a process that took a mere 16 minutes. Remarkably, within weeks, Opal began responding to loud noises, and after 24 weeks, she could hear whispers, indicating a near-normal level of hearing restoration.

Opal’s case is part of the Chord trial, which is recruiting more children from the UK, Spain, and the US to undergo similar treatment. The trial is being closely monitored, with participants followed up for five years to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of the therapy.

The success of this gene therapy is a beacon of hope for many suffering from genetic deafness, signaling the dawn of a new era in medical science where conditions once thought incurable are now within the realm of treatment. Opal’s story is not just a personal victory; it’s a milestone in genetic medicine, showcasing the incredible potential of gene therapy to change lives.

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