Ottawa bypasses Ontario with affordable housing funding

Plus, Israel rejected a ceasefire and researchers "amazed" by social media study [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Ottawa’s affordable housing funds, the ceasefire deal Israel rejected and the impact of ditching social media. DON’T MISS Cathie Coward/Hamilton Spectator HOUSING [Ottawa is bypassing Doug Ford, sending housing money straight to Ontario municipalities]( The Ontario government won’t be getting its expected federal reimbursements for sending money to municipalities for affordable housing, Mark Ramzy reports. Instead, Justin Trudeau’s government is going over Doug Ford’s head and promising to send $357 million in affordable housing funding directly to regions and municipalities. It argues Ontario has failed to show how it plans to meet the federal government’s affordable housing targets. [Take a look at the tensions brewing between different levels of government](. - Meanwhile: City hall said two affordable housing projects were “shovel-ready” last summer. [So why hasn’t construction started?]( - More: Eventually, someone will succeed Trudeau. [Canadians told a pollster about some of the potential contenders](. AFP via Getty Images Middle East [Israel has rejected a Hamas-approved ceasefire proposal]( A glimmer of hope emerged on Monday when Hamas announced it had accepted an agreement put forward by Egyptian and Qatari meditators that included a permanent end to the war, an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees and prisoners, and a reconstruction plan for Gaza, Allan Woods writes. Israel, however, rejected the proposal as a “softened” version of an offer it had put forward last week and shortly thereafter launched what it called “targeted strikes” on Hamas targets in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been taking shelter from the fighting. [These are the main challenges in the negotiations](. - The latest: [Israeli forces have invaded Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing]( raising global alarm over the fate of 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into the city. - More: The United Nations says there’s “full-blown famine” in northern Gaza. [Here’s what we know about the hunger crisis in the territory](. - One the home front: “People are fed up.” [Doug Ford says it’s time for universities to clear out pro-Palestinian encampments]( Susan Kao/The Star technology [York University students ditched social media for a week — the results “amazed” researchers]( A study of 66 female undergraduate students has found that cutting out all social media for a week could dramatically improve your self esteem and body image, Mark Colley reports. Participants were assigned to two groups: one that would continue on social media as normal, and another that would ditch it for a week. “The less people are on (social media), the better,” paper co-author Jennifer Mills said. [Here’s why it became clear that staying off social media has a “robust” effect](. - Go deeper: [Here’s how social media can play a role in shaping harmful health habits in the future for children aged 10 to 19]( according to a study published in 2023. - ICYMI: A cellphone ban is coming to Ontario schools this fall. [Here are the new rules for students](. WHAT ELSE The Trudeau government has unveiled a sweeping bill to tackle foreign meddling, [including the creation of foreign agents registry]( The robbery suspect police pursued on Highway 401 was out on bail following theft charges. [Here’s how politicians and legal experts are reacting](. [Border agents haven’t prevented a single shipment from entering Canada]( on suspicion it was linked to forced labour. A senior Toronto cop says she helped Black officers cheat in a [“desperate effort to level the playing field.”]( TD Bank could face billions in fines for [non-compliance with anti-money laundering measures](. Alberta’s longest-running carbon capture project was [only able to turn a profit because it received a “hidden subsidy.”]( [A mentally ill man has been found not criminally responsible]( for killing Julia Ferguson. [Outrage in Ontario is the highest in the country]( according to the latest “Rage Index” poll. Zendaya, Demi Moore and Lana Del Rey were the 2024 Met Gala best dressed. [This is how they interpreted “The Garden of Time.”]( Haven’t caught up on Drake vs. Kendrick? [Here’s an exhaustive timeline of the toxic feud dominating hip hop](. ICYMI Dreamstime Photo [Switching home insurance carriers can save you money — but be careful. ]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star QUEEN’S PARK: Independent MPP Sarah Jama, and NDP MPPs Kristyn Wong-Tam and Joel Harden acknowledged the speaker before leaving the chamber on Monday. [Here’s how MPPs continue to challenge the Palestinian kaffiyeh ban](. Plus, it turns out Sunday’s edition didn’t get sent out due to a technical error. Sorry about that.  Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_213380). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited digital and ePaper access Newsletter exclusive offer: Now only $49.99 for 1 year [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](