Hard Numbers: US Southerners “Waffle” about the weather, Rent inflation continues to ease in Canada, Investors get nervous about US election, Manitoba looks to slash machete sales

1,900: How do tens of millions of people in the southern US gauge the severity of a hurricane or other natural disaster? By looking to Waffle House. The chain restaurant’s roughly 1,900 locations are famously open 24/7/365, except in the most severe weather conditions. So when Waffle House closes down, you know it’s serious. And you’d know that from following the “Waffle House Index,” a map of closures posted on the company’s social media feeds. Dozens of Florida locations were shuttered as Hurricane Milton ripped through the panhandle state.

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2.1: Rents in Canada rose just 2.1% on an annual basis in September, the slowest rate of growth since October 2021. The data marks the fifth straight month in which the rate of rent increases fell. Back in May, it was at a whopping 9%. At the provincial level, rents in Ontario fell more than 4%, pulled downward by a drop of more than 8% in Toronto. Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, rents rose by 23.5% as a result of higher demand for the province’s relatively affordable housing.

20.9: How nervous are investors about the prospect of a disputed US presidential election? The Cboe Volatility Index, which measures the perceived risk of severe stock swings within a 30-day period, has risen 6 points since September and now stands at 20.9, a level that is usually associated with moderate to high expectations of turbulence. Fears about a disputed US election are part of that, according to investors.

5,000: Do you happen to be thinking of selling a sword, machete, or other large-bladed weapon in Manitoba? You’d better act fast. The province’s lawmakers are debating a new bill that would tighten the rules around the sales of such weapons. Only people over the age of 18 with a photo ID would be permitted to buy them, and sales records would be maintained for two years, with fines for individuals as high as CA$5,000 for rule breakers. The bill follows high-profile machete attacks in the province.