Is Tony Staffieri really in charge at Rogers?

Plus, here’s why buyers of these Oakville pre-construction homes say they are in “financial devastation”  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Ashley Okwuosa   Good morning. As a polar vortex affects a wide swath of the country, here’s what you can expect from the weather today and in the coming week. Here’s the latest.       MUST READS Lance McMillan/Toronto Star   Star exclusive Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri speaks out on the massive outage and the infamous “butt dial” Tony Staffieri came to power following a strange, publicly embarrassing business feud, which include a long-drawn-out “Succession”-style family battle and a rumoured butt dial to his predecessor. But, for the first time, the CEO of what will soon become one of the largest telecom companies in the world is sharing his side of a well-documented story. Richard Warnica’s in-depth profile shows that Rogers’ financial results under Staffieri have been promising, and it answers the pending question: Why do so many people still wonder whether he’s the one running the show?   Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press   Highway 413 Doug Ford’s government is asking hundreds of landowners for “permission” to evaluate the Highway 413 site Premier Doug Ford’s government is notifying 467 landowners along the route of the proposed Highway 413 for “permission to enter” their property to evaluate its suitability for the freeway, report Robert Benzie and Noor Javed. In a nine-page letter obtained by the Star, the province advises the access is needed to “identify the route, determine interchange locations and complete the preliminary design for a new transportation corridor” between Milton and Vaughan. Here’s more on what the letter had to say, and why the Ford government said they’re “wasting no time getting to work building Highway 413.”   Lance McMillan/Toronto Star   REAL ESTATE They paid top dollar for pre-construction homes. Now, their builder is selling the same models for far less Dozens of buyers who bought pre-construction homes in two Oakville housing projects say Mattamy Homes’ decision to sell similar houses in the same communities for hundreds of thousands of dollars less undermines their already impossible financial situation, reports Tess Kalinowski. While buyers fear the builders will sue if they walk away from the deal, they are holding a protest today with the hope that Mattamy Homes will offer some relief — even delay the construction of their houses. Here’s why buyers say the situation has put them in “financial devastation.”   Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star   CANADA Here’s why this court challenge claims Health Canada’s sperm donor ban is unconstitutional and anti-gay When Aziz M. donated his sperm, he was neither out nor a sexually active gay man. Years later, when he encouraged his friends to do the same, he learned they were automatically rejected because men who have had sex with men in the last three months are banned from donating to a sperm bank. Now, Aziz is bringing a constitutional challenge against the federal government in the Superior Court of Justice, alleging the ban is discriminatory by violating the right to equality guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, reports Jacques Gallant. Here’s how Health Canada is responding to the challenge.   Steve Russell/Toronto Star   The Third Act A national strategy on aging? Here’s why health leaders are asking Trudeau to heed their call With the release of national long-term care standards, experts want the government to develop a national strategy on aging, reports Moira Welsh. Advocates are saying the plan should include access to a mix of family doctors, palliative-care physicians, geriatricians, nurses, and mental health and rehabilitation professionals who can support the later decades of life. Here’s what we know about the proposed strategy and where Canada stands on healthcare spending for the elderly compared to other OECD countries.       POV     Althia Raj: With Amira Elghawaby’s appointment, Justin Trudeau promised a bridge and delivered a wedge.   Naved Bakali: Not surprisingly, it’s Amira Elghawaby’s critics who have had a hand in oppressing Muslim women. Edward Keenan: Random attacks have a horrific human cost. How do we avoid living in fear of each other?   Donovan Vincent: Is a detailed portrait of Hazel McCallion an insult or an inspirational reflection? Bruce Arthur: Tucker Carlson says the U.S. should invade Canada. Here’s the truth behind the statement.   Rick Salutin: ChatGPT is the best thing to happen to teaching since the Socratic method.       READ THIS Knopf Canada Following a knife attack that almost killed him last August, Salman Rushdie has released his 15th novel, “Victory City.” Here’s everything you need to know about the book that Brian Bethune calls a compulsively readable take on the fact that human life has a tragic arc and a richly comedic texture.     Thanks for reading. You can reach the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca, and I will see you back here tomorrow.     If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. 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