Should Trudeau stay or go?

Plus, the killing of a father of seven at a TTC station, Toronto’s war on rats and more [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on the biggest decision of Justin Trudeau’s political life, a family grappling with the death of a father of seven and Toronto’s war on rats. DON’T MISS Kent Nishimura/Getty Images Federal politics [Justin Trudeau is reckoning with the decision of his political life. Here’s why few know what he will do]( Calls for Justin Trudeau to step down as leader of the Liberal Party have been mounting, and speculation has swirled on whether he could take on a strongly-polling Pierre Poilievre in an election. And, it’s not like Trudeau can go to his cabinet for advice – the decision to leave is a solitary one. But, after nine years in government and a loss last month in a key byelection, the question keeps coming up — is it time for someone else? [Here’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles’ deep-dive on the question hanging over the PM’s head](. - From one source: “You cannot for one second — unless there are people very, very, very close to you — hint that you’re going, because you still have to command respect and be able to get people to follow you.” - On the one hand: Just one Liberal MP — a former cabinet minister — [has called for Trudeau’s resignation]( following the party’s loss in Toronto—St. Paul’s, a long-held Grit seat. - On the other: A Liberal insider told the Star that [Trudeau and the party need to “double down”]( on their current direction, and work to win back the faith of voters. Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star CRIME [“Why didn’t anyone go and help him?” The killing of a father of seven at a TTC station leaves his family grasping for answers]( On the evening of June 25, Matthew Rumble Sr. was stabbed and killed at Jane Station in broad daylight, after an altercation between him and another man on the bus. He was supposed to take his son, 18-year-old Matthew Rumble Jr., to the gym for the first time. He’s survived by his wife, Stella, their six children and one other child. “How did this happen? With so many people on the bus, nobody called for help?” Stella asked, the same questions running through her mind every day. [Here’s the story of Matthew Rumble Sr.’s life, and the loved ones he leaves behind](. - By the numbers: In recent years, riding the TTC has felt like a roll of the dice, after a wave of violent and sometimes random high-profile incidents. However, last summer, the TTC said the rate of offenses had decreased by 36 per cent. - From the union: “This is a real loss on so many levels … innocent people riding transit should not have to be worried about their safety,” the head of the TTC’s union said. - About Rumble Sr.: He worked as a chef at the restaurant Insomnia, loved taking his daughters to parks, movie theatres and Canada’s Wonderland. But most of all Stella remembers his ability to make people smile. Susan Kao/Toronto Star illustration THE RAT DETECTIVE [Toronto is losing the war on rats. Here’s how it got so bad and what the city should be doing]( In the summer of 2018, rats were running the streets, skittering across busy thoroughfares in broad daylight, swarming backyards, and tearing into waste bins and garbage bags. With residents at their limit, city council voted to create a rat management strategy — which promptly died out in 2019. Since then, the city has been in rat-induced limbo, leaving residents to rely on brooms, home remedies and private pest control companies. Year after year, Toronto’s rat problem has grown, [but it doesn’t have to be that way, Amy Dempsey Raven writes in part two of the Rat Detective series](. - How to win the rat war: You go to rat school. [In part one, Amy Dempsey Raven flew out to New York City for the Rat Academy]( a city-run program for all things pest control held in the heart of America’s rattiest city. - Who runs Toronto? [Toronto has already lost its century-long war against raccoons]( — the bigger, cuter trash-eaters that roam the city. We’re a city plagued (and sometimes gifted) with wildlife abound, often with little strategy to manage human-animal interactions. - Except for: the pigeons. [We have them on birth control, at least](. WHAT ELSE [Canada’s security apparatus is employing “increased vigilance”]( after the Trump rally shooting: public safety minister. This Canadian province is trying to attract immigrants [by partnering with an English soccer team](. Will it work? [LCBO walks back its plan to open dozens of stores]( on Friday as the strike continues. [Doug Ford is set to focus on getting medications approved faster]( at the annual premiers’ conference. A rally in the east end calls on the province to [save Ontario Science Centre](. Plans for a Somali community centre in Etobicoke park are [facing uncertainty after Doug Ford sides with upset residents](. Shot dead. Strangled. These people died violently, suddenly. [Why aren’t authorities telling us their names]( York police safely find a Toronto man kidnapped in a “targeted” Vaughan abduction, [but the suspects are still at large](. [A person was fatally struck by a train at Danforth GO Station]( Toronto police say. Toronto and its surrounding regions are [under a heat warning until Tuesday]( Environment Canada says. Blue Jays thoughts: Waiting too long to sell has been a [costly trademark of the Ross Atkins era](. They’re the most underappreciated players in baseball. [Meet the Home Run Derby pitchers](. POV Graeme Roy/The Canadian Press File Photo [The best and brightest don’t want to stay in Canada. I should know: I’m one of the few in my engineering class who did.]( CLOSE-UP Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images PENNSYLVANIA: Following an attempt on his life at a rally in Butler, Pa., former president Donald Trump is calling for unity and for Americans to show their “True Character.” The gunman and a rally-goer are dead, and police have identified the shooter as a resident of Pennsylvania. Leaders across the world, including President Joe Biden, have condemned the attack. [Here’s what else we know so far in one of the most serious assassination attempts in modern U.S. history](. 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_216612). 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](