Business
Downtown Business Spotlight: RYDE RD

We’re starting this year’s Business Spotlight off with shining the light on RYDE RD! This boutique spin and body studio is located at 47755 49th street in Bay D. We spoke with owner Alex Wood to learn more about his business.Ā
What is your business?
RYDE RD is locally owned and operated and is downtown Red Deerās only boutique spin and body studio. We’re dedicated to providing a fun, multi-sensory workout in a safe and friendly environment.
When did your business open?
We opened our doors October 2016.
What makesĀ your business unique?
Ryde is different with offering an unique experience while working out. Spinning to the beat of the music in a clublike atmosphere you wonāt even feel like you are working out for 45min.
What are some products/services that you offer?
We offer spin and body classes:
- Ryde 45: is the pride of Ryde RD. Our spin instructor motivates you through a music bumping, forty-five minute, full body workout class complete with hand weights & core.Ā Our instructors guide you through the movements, all to the beat of the music. You control the resistance of your bike, so Ryde 45 is as hard as you want it to be. With each instructor having their own flare & music choice, you can expect no two classes to be the same. Whether you’re a beginner or an avid ryder, this class is for you. Multiple classes on the daily to fit perfectly into your schedule.
- Body 45: is forty-five minute intermediate level class comprised of a variety of exercise modalities, including boot-camp, HIIT, plyometrics, kettlebells, strength training & flexibility. Participants will be educated in new exercises with instruction & demonstration with attention to proper form & safety. Each instructor provides their own unique style of teaching – sure to be a challenge & of course, a good sweat.
Why did you choose Downtown Red Deer as the location for your business?
Downtown Red Deer is a great central location that is easy to get to from everywhere in Red Deer. We are happy to be alongside other fantastic local businesses in the downtown area.
What do you think makes Downtown vibrant?
The sense of community in downtown Red Deer makes it vibrant. It is very attracting to be placed alongside other thriving local businesses.
I love Downtown Red Deer becauseā¦Ā because of the sense of community, central location and being alongside other great local businesses.
Check out RYDE RD’s website to sign up for a class and be sure to follow them for updates:
Website: https://ryde-rd.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryde_rd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RydeRedDeer/Ā
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ryde_RD
Check back next week for another business spotlight! If you would like to see your Downtown business spotlighted, please contact us at 403-340-8696 orĀ [email protected].
Business
DOGE discovered $330M in Small Business loans awarded to children under 11

Ā MxM News
Quick Hit:
In a bombshell revelation at a White House cabinet meeting, Elon Musk announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had uncovered over $330 million in Small Business Administration (SBA) loans issued to children under the age of 11.
Key Details:
- Elon Musk stated that DOGE found $330 million in SBA loans given to individuals under the age of 11.
- The youngest recipient was reportedly just nine months old, receiving a $100,000 loan.
- SBA has now paused the direct loan process for individuals under 18 and over 120 years old.
Diving Deeper:
At a cabinet meeting held Monday at the White House, President Donald Trump and Elon MuskĀ detailed a staggering example of federal wasteĀ uncovered by the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency. Speaking directly to ongoing efforts to eliminate corruption and abuse in federal agencies, Musk explained that the SBA had awarded hundreds of millions in loans to childrenāsome of whom were still in diapers.
āA case of fraud was with the Small Business Administration, where they were handing out loans ā $330 million worth of loans to people under the age of 11,ā Musk said. āI think the youngest, Kelly, was a nine-month year old who got a $100,000 loan. Thatās a very precocious baby weāre talking about here.ā
DOGEās findings forced the SBA to abruptly change its loan procedures. In a post on X, the department revealed it would now require applicants to include their date of birth and was halting direct loans to those under 18 and above 120 years old. Musk commented sarcastically: āNo more loans to babies or people too old to be alive.ā
The discovery was just the latest in a series of contract cancellations and fraud crackdowns led by DOGE. According to Breitbart News, DOGE recently canceled 105 contracts totaling $935 million in potential taxpayer liabilities. The agencyās website currently lists over 6,600 terminated contracts, accounting for $20 billion in savings.
The president praised Musk and DOGE for rooting out government inefficiencies, noting his administration was focused on ācuttingā people and programs that were not working or delivering results. āWeāre not going to let people collect paychecks or taxpayer funds without doing their jobs,ā Trump said.
Also during the cabinet session, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins revealed her department had eliminated a $300,000 program aimed at teaching āfood justiceā to transgender and queer farmers in San Francisco. āIām not even sure what that means,ā Rollins said, ābut apparently the last administration wanted to put our taxpayer dollars towards that.ā
These revelations highlight what many conservatives have long suspectedāthat during prior administrations, including under President Joe Biden, massive amounts of federal funding were funneled into unserious, ideologically-driven projects and mismanaged government programs. Under the Trump administrationās second term, DOGE appears to be living up to its mission: trimming fat, exposing fraud, and putting American taxpayers first.
Business
Cuba has lost 24% of it’s population to emigration in the last 4 years

MxM News
Quick Hit:
A new study finds Cuba has lost nearly a quarter of its population since 2020, driven by economic collapse and a mass emigration wave unseen outside of war zones. The country’s population now stands at just over 8 million, down from nearly 10 million.
Key Details:
- Independent study estimates Cubaās population at 8.02 millionādown 24% in four years.
- Over 545,000 Cubans left the island in 2024 aloneādouble the official government figure.
- Demographer warns the crisis mirrors depopulation seen only in wartime, calling it a “systemic collapse.”
Diving Deeper:
Cuba is undergoing a staggering demographic collapse, losing nearly one in four residents over the past four years, according to a new study by economist and demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos. TheĀ report estimatesĀ that by the end of 2024, Cubaās population will stand at just over 8 million peopleādown from nearly 10 millionāa 24% drop that Albizu-Campos says is comparable only to what is seen in war-torn nations.
The study,Ā accessed byĀ the Spanish news agency EFE, points to mass emigration as the primary driver. In 2024 alone, 545,011 Cubans are believed to have left the island. That number is more than double what the regime officially acknowledges, as Cubaās government only counts those heading to the United States, ignoring large flows to destinations like Mexico, Spain, Serbia, and Uruguay.
Albizu-Campos describes the trend as ādemographic emptying,ā driven by what he calls a “quasi-permanent polycrisis” in Cubaāan interwoven web of political repression, economic freefall, and social decay. For years, Cubans have faced food and medicine shortages, blackout-plagued days, fuel scarcity, soaring inflation, and a broken currency system. The result has been not just migration, but a desperate stampede for the exits.
Yet, the regime continues to minimize the damage. Official figures from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) put Cubaās population at just over 10 million in 2023. However, even those numbers acknowledge a shrinking population and the lowest birth rate in decadesāconfirming the crisis, if not its full scale.
Cuba hasnāt held a census since 2012. The last scheduled one in 2022 has been repeatedly delayed, allegedly due to lack of resources. Experts doubt that any new attempt will be transparent or complete.
Albizu-Campos warns that the governmentās refusal to confront the reality of the collapse is obstructing any chance at solutions. More than just a demographic issue, the study describes Cubaās situation as a āsystemic crisis.”
“Havana (Cuba, February 2023)” byĀ Bruno RijsmanĀ licensed underĀ CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.
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