World Headlines: Is Highway 413's promise too good to be true?

First Up

By Andrew Joe Potter

Good morning. Improbably, today is both National Hamburger Day and National Brisket Day — presumably the invention of a grocer who once possessed a lot of rapidly expiring beef. Here’s the latest.

MUST READS

Eduardo Lima for the Toronto Star

COMMUTE

Highway 413 commute cutting promise might be too good to be true

Ministry of Transportation documents contradict the loud promise that the proposed Highway 413 project would save GTA commuters as many as 30 minutes each way. Those estimates do not account for how the 407 ETR toll highway, combined with the existing 400 and 401 highways, would allow commuters to cross the GTA 16 minutes faster, Paul Webster reports. Who really stands to benefit from the proposed highway?

Steve Russell/Toronto Star

Star Investigation

Cops probe $1.5 million "construction fraud" case. What will they find?

The Toronto Police's financial crime and fraud squad are looking into the case of Judy Allen, a retired nurse saddled with $1.5 million in high-interest mortgages following a botched renovation. Four of Allen's five mortgages were provided by Harold Gerstel, better known as Harold the Jewellery Buyer. Kevin Donovan takes us through what we know so far about the ongoing investigation.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

UNITED STATES

Only America makes it so easy for angry people to kill

Angry young men are all over the world. However, the last two weeks have been a horrific reminder that the astounding frequency of mass shootings within the United States is undeniable. Also undeniable: how easy it is for American killers-to-be to legally purchase powerful weaponry, like the AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. Here's Edward Keenan on the insufficient power of prayer alone in the wake of tragedy.

Darren Brown/The Canadian Press

POLITICS

Is it time to remove the Tamil Tigers from Canada's terrorism list?

To some, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were freedom fighters who took on an oppressive Sri Lankan government. To Canada and other foreign governments, the separatist group were extremists, culpable for suicide bombings and assassinations. Now, 13 years after the Tamils were officially defeated, Tamil Canadians say their community has continued to be stigmatized by the group's terrorist label. Here’s Nicholas Keung on how the debate is impacting several ongoing political races.

Shruti Bhatnagar/Toronto Star Illustration

HOUSING

They could finally afford a home in Toronto. Why couldn’t they live there?

After years of dreaming of life in the big city, Christine Testa and her husband finally bought a Toronto home of their own back in 2018. But when COVID-19 happened, their cozy 700-square-foot East York bungalow felt suffocatingly small. In her own words, Christine explains why her young family ultimately settled in Hamilton instead.

POV

David Olive: Doug Ford could be one of Ontario's most capable economic managers ever, if he can strike a balance.

Navneet Alang: The online reaction to the massacre in Texas leaves no doubt: social media brings out the worst in us.

Ghazaleh Rabiei: Canada Soccer was right to cancel an upcoming match; Iran's human rights abuses are not a game.

Peter Howell: Breaking down the top 10 flicks at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, including "Top Gun: Maverick."

Vinay Menon: Kim Kardashian is now Beyond Meat's "Chief Taste Consultant" but her fake eating ad is beyond belief.

Saturday Debate: Will forgiving all student debt kickstart Canada’s economy or is such a measure simply not needed?

IMAGINE THIS

Sarah and Eric Bomhof/The Boms Away

Becoming a digital nomad has never been easier for those looking to experience life in distant locales. Freelance writer Sinead Mulhern tells us what she discovered after packing up her laptop and heading to Ecuador.

Thanks for reading. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever put on a burger? Tell the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca, and I will see you back here tomorrow.

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