Today's Star Headlines

Including: COVID-19 testing ‘disaster’ leaves trail of frustration in city’s hard-hit northwest corner [The Star]( Morning Headlines [COVID-19 testing ‘disaster’ leaves trail of frustration in city’s hard-hit northwest corner]( “We are putting more lives at risk,” MPP Faisal Hassan says after dozens left waiting, some more than two weeks, for COVID-19 test results at Humber River Hospital’s Church Street site. [Read more »]( [No one in Ottawa wants an election campaign this fall. Here's why we're on the brink of one anyway]( A high-stakes duel is playing out on Parliament Hill as the Liberal government and opposition parties dare each other to pull the trigger on a pandemic election, Tonda MacCharles writes. [Read more »]( [‘This really makes no sense’: Doug Ford’s provincial government moves to scrap ranked ballots for municipalities including Toronto]( Doug Ford’s PC government tabled surprise changes to the Municipal Elections Act as part of a bill about COVID-19 recovery, as Toronto looked to implement ranked ballots. [Read more »]( [Ontario law would make it harder to sue over COVID-19]( Families and lawyers of seniors who died of COVID-19 in long-term care are outraged at proposed Ontario legislation that would make it harder to sue nursing homes for damages. [Read more »]( OPINION [The U.S. is considering an 8-month limit on visits by foreign journalists. What is it afraid we’ll see?]( The proposal is an attempt to shut the eyes of the world to what is happening in one of the biggest democracies in the world, Irene Gentle writes. [Read more »]( [Peel police pledge to make legally binding commitment to address systemic racism]( Peel police officers are the subjects of several ongoing probes into the shooting deaths and injuries of people of colour. [Read more »]( [No mandatory masks and they get Halloween. Why B.C. took a less top-down approach to its COVID-19 fight]( It hasn’t eliminated cases like the Maritimes. But cases haven’t exploded as they have in Ontario and Quebec. How B.C. has managed to keep up its ‘low and slow’ burn throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read more »]( [Amidst Mi’kmaq lobster fight, DFO seized traps from second First Nation in Nova Scotia, email shows]( In Cape Breton, the Potlotek First Nation launched its own moderate livelihood fishery this month. It has been untouched by the violent conflict with non-Indigenous fishermen elswhere in the province. [Read more »]( [Thousands of kids are waiting years for mental health care in Ontario. A new Toronto-based online program aims to fix that]( A new intensive online therapy program aims to cut wait times and provide mental health care to young people who are struggling with stress, anxiety and risky behaviour. [Read more »]( [Toronto’s curb-lane patios on the Danforth and elsewhere must soon be packed up]( Other patios see their season extended to May, but restaurant owners have their doubts about customers wanting to eat outside in the winter. [Read more »]( [Do we really have a handle on COVID-19 spread in Ontario? Testing problems are leading many to question if anyone actually knows what’s happening]( “Between not being able to do contact tracing for every patient, and not being able to test everybody who even suspects they’ve been exposed to COVID, we’re really hamstringing ourselves.” [Read more »]( [As Trump-Biden debate No. 2 looms, experts have this advice for moderator Kristen Welker]( Following the chaotic first presidential debate last month, Fox News veteran Chris Wallace was widely panned for failing to rein in the Trump-Biden slugfest. [Read more »]( OPINION [Heather Scoffield: Forget an anti-corruption committee. Here’s what Parliament should really be studying]( There’s a golden opportunity hiding in the deafening political brinksmanship that is consuming Parliament Hill right now, Heather Scoffield writes. [Read more »]( [As we reimagine public spaces amid COVID-19 how do we make them more inclusive? Toronto’s Bentway asked artists and activists]( The Bentway’s art project Safe in Public Spaces questions who the city’s public spaces are designed for and how to make them more inclusive for everyone, especially marginalized and racialized communities. [Read more »]( [Doug Ford led Progressive Conservative cheers for Kathleen Wynne. The NDP jeered him]( Tory MPPs led by the current premier paid tribute to the former premier one day after the Star revealed she would not seek re-election in 2022. [Read more »]( [The Star]( 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]( [Manage Your Email Preferences]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 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