How the Star got a disproven COVID cure from a covert network of doctors

Plus, the "Freedom Rally" is picking up support and Canada's laws are failing to fight hate [The Star] First Up [By Lex Harvey] By Lex Harvey Good morning. Here’s the latest on a covert network of doctors prescribing a disproven COVID-19 cure, what the “Freedom Rally” is really about, and why Canada’s “weak” laws are failing to tackle hate. DON’T MISS R.J. Johnston/The Star star investigation [A covert network of Canadian doctors is prescribing ivermectin to treat COVID — and the Star got some]( Despite ample evidence it doesn’t work, the anti-parasitic medication has been widely touted as a COVID-19 cure by medical talking heads, celebrity catalysts, and highly organized and funded campaigns promoting fraudulent research. Under an alias, the Star obtained ivermectin for $350 through a new service called Canadian Covid Telehealth — and shortly after the doctor prescribed the medication, he asked that his name be “Sharpied off” the bottle. [Read the full investigation](. - What we know: Ivermectin is a safe, cheap and highly effective medication used to treat neglected tropical diseases in humans, including river blindness and scabies. It’s on the WHO’s list of essential medicines. But it doesn’t cure COVID. - Context: Despite Health Canada’s warnings against taking it, people across the country have been “using any means necessary” to get ivermectin, said one expert, including by obtaining the animal-grade version and taking doses meant for a 1,000 pound horse. - Why it matters: Canadian Covid Telehealth’s existence underscores the dangers of dangling unproven alternative treatments in front of the vaccine hesitant and those desperate for another option. Rick Madonik/The Star truckers [Canada’s “Freedom Rally” is being watched by the world — and seen in very different ways]( Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and American podcaster Joe Rogan have now thrown their weight behind the truckers headed for Ottawa, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed the convoy as a “fringe minority holding unacceptable views.” What started off as a reaction to vaccine mandates has ballooned into something bigger and more ambiguous — making its outcome less predictable. [Here’s what happened when the convoy passed through Toronto yesterday](. - Bruce Arthur’s take: We have to live with the dangerous Freedom Convoy fringe. [But politicians don’t have to lend them support](. - By the numbers: The [convoy has now accessed $1 million]( of the more than $6 million it raised on a viral fundraiser previously frozen by GoFundMe. A Chatham retiree who donated $15,000 wrote to the Star: “My freedom is worth a lot more than that.” - Go deeper: “A lot of people are supporting it from the sidelines,” said the executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. “There’s a wide range of grievances that are bringing people to this thing — but it really is a far-right thing.” - Another angle: The “Freedom Rally” is [distracting from trucker’s other day-to-day battles]( some argue — like sick days and protections from wage theft. Ramon Ferreira/Toronto Star Illustration hate crimes [Why Canada’s “weak” laws are failing to address the rise of hate]( Canada’s hate problem is reaching new heights, but the justice system is failing to dissuade prolific purveyors of hate and discrimination who repeatedly target vulnerable groups, an Investigative Journalism Bureau/Star investigation found. Investigators tracked three men who have faced hearings for alleged acts of hatred, were found guilty by a court of tribunal, received penalties or orders to stop, then proceeded to do it again. [Read the full story here](. - By the numbers: Law enforcement reported 2,669 hate-motivated crimes in 2020 — up 37 per cent over 2019 and the most since data became available in 2009. - Go deeper: Advocates say the problem is Canada’s laws — which are “too obsolete and weak” to address hate. “If the judicial system appears powerless to curtail this, as we see in times of crisis like the pandemic where racist attacks have flourished, it feels like we’re enabling them and emboldening them.” - Another angle: [This man took seven bullets in the Quebec City mosque slayings](. He went back as soon as he could — and five years on, his faith remains. WHAT ELSE Applicants to Canada’s skilled-worker immigration program [will soon face 36-month wait times]( documents reveal. The Metrolinx consultant at the centre of a controversy over a potential conflict of interest has [given up his role at the agency](. The Ford government and WSIB will pay Deloitte $22.4 million to run a [COVID paid sick leave program](. As Canada sends aid, the Russian ambassador charged [it]( the conflict” in Ukraine](. A 13-year-old Toronto boy’s arrest for murder should be a wake-up call — [but it isn’t a surprise](. Here’s why a “liberal” judge is [quitting the U.S. Supreme Court]( now. ICYMI Canadian Press/Rob Gurdebeke [“You are alone.” Navigating the increasingly lonely road of the unvaccinated.]( PREVIOUSLY... Ron Bull/The Star JANUARY 28, 1976: Niagara Parks Commission sign-writer Earl Lafferty pounded a sign post into the ground to warn people against walking on the ice bridge at the base of Niagara Falls. Up until the early 20th century, people would venture onto the ice bridge, some setting up shacks to sell souvenirs and liquor. That all changed in 1912 when the bridge cracked, killing three people. Thanks 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_102312). First Up will be back in your inbox tomorrow. [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]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](