Plus, Islamophobic messaging in the GTA and the U of T encampment in court [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on the TTC CEO’s resignation, a truck displaying Islamophobic messages around the GTA and U of T’s protest encampment back in court. DON’T MISS Nick Lachanc/The Star transit [TTC CEO Rick Leary has resigned]( After seven long years captaining the transit agency of Canada’s largest city, TTC head Rick Leary has announced his resignation. He dropped the bombshell announcement at a surprise press conference on Thursday. The 61-year-old Boston native said his work with the TTC had been “the most rewarding experience of my four decades in public transit.” Advocates are already on the lookout for improvements in the next leader of the TTC — some are calling for a safer environment for workers, while others want a “renewal” of the city’s transit system, Ben Spurr and Mahdis Habibinia report. [Here’s what Leary’s departure means for the transit agency](. - Miss something? Just two weeks ago, Leary oversaw an 11th-hour deal with the transit agency’s largest union, [averting a strike that would have stopped the city in its tracks](.
- What we know: The sudden resignation comes just eight months after the TTC board voted to [investigate Leary over allegations of workplace misconduct](. The allegations have not been proven.
- Next station: TTC staff are raising alarm bells — again — over the aging Line 2 subway trains, with the board voting for an [ad campaign to pressure Ottawa to boost their contribution to a new fleet](. @nccm/X hate crimes [Rebel News claimed ownership of a truck broadcasting Islamophobic messages]( Far-right media outlet Rebel News is taking ownership of a digital-ad truck displaying Islamophobic messages. The brightly lit truck, with screens on its sides, has been spotted around the GTA, raising concerns about inciting hatred towards the city’s Muslim community, the Star’s Raju Mudhar reports. Rebel News founder Ezra Levant told the Star that the ad campaign was paid for by an anonymous group that is opposed to pro-Palestinian protests, justifying it as “free speech.” Toronto police said its hate crime unit is investigating. [Here’s what else we know about the truck](. - Context: [Hate crimes in the city rose 47 per cent in 2023]( nearly doubling the 10-year average amidst tension sparked in the city from the war in Gaza. Antisemitic acts made up more than a third of all reported hate crimes in 2023, while seven per cent were reported as Islamophobic.
- Word from Amira Elghawaby: “This clear incitement to hate Muslims is deeply worrisome given the ongoing violence that our communities continue to experience,” Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia posted on X. Nick Lachance/The Star courts [“The rights of the protesters must prevail.” Lawyers are pushing back against the U of T’s bid to clear the protest encampment]( The fate of the pro-Palestinian encampment on U of T’s downtown campus has been playing out in a Toronto courtroom this week, with lawyers for the protestors making their arguments on Thursday. The protest has been polarizing, to say the least. Protestors and supporters have said the encampment — which demands that the university divest from Israel — is a form of free expression and protest amidst the war in Gaza. Detractors and the university have called the encampment intimidating, with some claiming it as being antisemitic. The Ontario judge overseeing the case said he would decide on the case within a week. [Here’s how the case has played out so far](. - Protestors say: The 200-tent encampment has a right to stay, protected by the Charter. They said all are welcome, so long as they maintain respectful behaviour.
- U of T says: [Protestors are trespassing on the university’s private property]( and that the encampment has left community members feeling unsafe.
- Context: The encampment was first set up on May 8. The university took protestors to court in a bid to remove them and their tents after [Toronto police said they wouldn’t intervene without a court order](. WHAT ELSE The Trudeau government is losing momentum on Indigenous reconciliation, leaders say — [and they’re worried a Conservative government would be worse](. “It is indisputable that the defendants’ reports slandered.” [A judge has allowed former Liberal MP Han Dong’s defamation lawsuit against Global News to proceed](. A court has granted Ottawa an extension to fix the “lost Canadians” citizenship rules — [but there’s a catch](. Doug Ford is urging Ottawa to match the U.S. by [placing tariffs on “artificially cheap” Chinese EVs](. After nine election victories, [a Toronto MP known for his straight talk and wit says he won’t run again](. A Brampton firefighter has admitted to [murdering his wife and then staging an elaborate, clumsy coverup for police](. “We’ve been managing the decline.” The TDSB approved a balanced budget, [but trustees aren’t happy]( A veteran Toronto police officer has been [charged with the sexual assault of subordinates](. Toronto is still under an extreme heat warning. [Here’s when it’s expected to end](. Heading to the beach this weekend? [Check the water quality before you go](. “Toronto has an amazing opportunity.” [As the WNBA heads north, player Natalie Achonwa and reporter Kayla Grey discuss what it should look like](. Elisapie practically grew up at the post office in her tiny Nunavik village. [Now, the Inuk singer’s face is on a Canada Post stamp](. POV Cole Burston/Getty Images [For the Blue Jays, doubling down on George Springer and Kevin Kiermaier is a rally killer.]( CLOSE-UP Matt Sayles/The Associated Press JUNE 20, 2024: Revered Canadian actor Donald Sutherland has died at the age of 88 following a long bout with an undisclosed illness. His passing was announced by his son, actor Kiefer Sutherland. “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that,” Kiefer posted on X. “A life well lived.” [Here’s how the star of such films as “M*A*S*H” and “The Hunger Games” is being remembered](. 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_215468). Andrew 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. 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.
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