Remembering a North York shooting victim

Plus, the unravelling of the Blue Jays and France's swing to the left [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on a 20-year-old father killed in North York, how the Blue Jays came undone and how France staved off the far-right. DON’T MISS Supplied Photo/Natoya Harriott gun violence [“It’s messed up our neighbourhood.” Loved ones remember a young father killed in a North York shooting]( Ajay Simpson, 20, had dreams that his daughter would become a future basketball star. But, after being shot and killed in a North York shooting, he will never see his daughter play. Simpson’s death has rippled throughout his community, who have rallied to form a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses. His eight-year-old sister still talks about him in the present tense. “His favourite thing to do is being nice to me,” she told the Star of her brother who would cook for her and spoil her with toys. [Read more about Simpson and his life, through the words of those his loved ones](. - What we know: Simpson was shot and killed in a late-night shooting on June 24, near Jane Street and Falstaff Avenue. He was with his baby and friends when four individuals shot in his direction. [A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with first degree murder](. - From Simpson’s mother: Even when police announced a suspect had been charged, Natoya Harriott said she didn’t feel any relief. “That’s not going to bring him back,” she told the Star’s Calvi Leon. - Context: [Another 14-year-old boy has been charged with the murder]( of two men after allegedly firing at a group of people behind an Etobicoke school on June 2. Tom Ralson/Toronto star Illustration THE BEATEN PATH [Mark Shapiro’s Blue Jays tenure has been marked by limited baseball ambition]( Flashback to the summer of ‘15, when a team of underachievers with a losing record morphed into champions of the American League East. The Blue Jays had an electric run that put an end to the team’s 22-year playoff drought. Now, nearly a decade after the Jays brought in team president Mark Shaprio and lost general manager Alex Anthopoulos, what do they have to show for it? Anthopoulos took big swings that paid off while Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins have only ever played it safe. [Take a closer look at how the Jays have unravelled](. - Shrimp and Chardonnay: In their three-part series, Star columnists Dave Feschuk and Bruce Arthur have painted the picture of how high-ticket prices and executive stability have frustrated Toronto sports fans — [while the Leafs and Jays are stuck in a cycle of playoff mediocrity](. - A Toronto curse? The Jays have made six playoff appearances since 2016 — and lost them all. - A lack of be-Leaf: It’s not just the Jays. Under team president Brendan Shanahan, [the Leafs haven’t seen any real playoff results as he’s repeatedly bet on the team’s “Core Four” and lost](. Christophe Ena/AP Photo international politics [France’s far right has been tamped down — but the country’s now at risk of being pulled far to the left]( French President Emmanuel Macron has staved off France’s far-right after calling for a national election just weeks before the summer Olympics in Paris. Last week’s first round of voting saw the country’s far-right National Party on the cusp of power, with a platform to expel migrants, get rid of EU regulations and roll-back climate policies. That shocked Macron’s centrist party into entering an alliance with a left-wing coalition, giving voters a single option if they were disinclined to vote for the right. [Macron’s Hail Mary worked — here’s what’s next](. - How did we get here? Macron called an early election in the hopes of catching far-right leader Marine Le Pen off guard after her strong showing at the European parliamentary elections. He had hoped to coast on his party’s centrist message, giving French voters an alternative from the extremes of the left and right. - Good news for: the left’s New Popular Front, who had banded together to challenge Macron and Le Pen at the polls. The party won the most seats in France’s parliament, but not a majority. WHAT ELSE Talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are [expected to resume this week](. Billionaire businessman [Frank Stronach will appear in court on sex assault charges](. You really are richer than you think. [Here’s how to get a handle on your money dysmorphia](. “This is our line in the sand and we are making history.” [The LCBO strike continued through Sunday](. A week later, [WestJet continues to feel the fallout from the mechanics strike](. A WWII-era Japanese military rifle was lost in the mail. [Now, no one can find it](. Humboldt crash survivor Jacob Wassermann is [now a Paralympian representing Canada in rowing](. Plans to move the cormorants away from Toronto islands were working. [Then two eagles showed up](. She was grieving in Alaska. Him in Ontario. [How an old apron pattern helped these strangers heal](. This Toronto food entrepreneur’s [ready-made picnics pay homage to her Anishinaabe roots](. [The Raptors are expected to announce massive contract extensions]( for Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley at a news conference this morning. 2024 Toronto Fringe Festival: [A complete guide with reviews and our critics’ picks](. POV Canadian Press/Ethan Cairns [Queer rights are in danger in Canada. Pierre Poilievre owns some of the blame.]( CLOSE-UP Steve Russell/The Star FORD PERFORMANCE CENTRE: The hockey season officially goes on summer break with the end of the Maple Leafs development camp. The top picks from the Leafs last three drafts — defenceman Ben Danford and forwards Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten — [showed that some help could be on the way for a playoffs-cursed team](. 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_216237). I’ll 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. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](