Behind-the-scenes of the Emergencies Act Inquiry

Plus, why experts fear the misuse of AI technology to create "deep fakes" [The Star] First Up [By Ashley Okwuosa] By Ashley Okwuosa Good morning. [John Tory has used his “strong mayor” powers to appoint a new city manager for the first time without council approval](. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Steve Russell/Toronto Star FEDERAL POLITICS [Here’s the behind-the-scenes story of how the “Freedom Convoy” shook the foundations of Canadian politics]( After six weeks of testimony and more than 7,000 documents, the Emergencies Act Inquiry revealed a stark picture of intelligence gaps, infighting, distrust, and jockeying between all levels of government and police. During the inquiry, the Star examined a trove of text and email messages, cabinet documents, transcripts and witness statements, and listened to 31 days of testimony from 77 witnesses. Tonda MacCharles takes readers behind the scenes to reveal [how and why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the controversial decision to invoke the Emergencies Act](. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star GTA [A recent fire is leading many to ask, what’s being done to help the homeless stay warm this winter?]( Last Saturday’s fiery explosion at an empty encampment under the Bathurst Street bridge is raising questions about how the homeless find ways to stay warm and the city’s role in offering safer heating sources. Years after the death of an unhoused man from smoke inhalation following a fire, a coroner’s inquest in 2018 resulted in 35 recommendations to prevent similar future deaths. But how well has the city followed them? Victoria Gibson reports on [what the city is doing to help the homeless stay warm this winter, and where it is still falling short](. Alfred Wahlforss/BeFake Technology [AI Technology is advancing rapidly. Here’s why experts are concerned about its misuse]( New technology from Google uses artificial intelligence to recreate eerily life-like photos of real people by fine-tuning existing text-to-image generators. But the development has some AI researchers and ethicists concerned about its use in creating “deep fakes.” What are those? They include everything from misleading photos or videos of politicians, copying signatures or official signage to fake documents, to manufacturing revenge porn, reports Kevin Jiang. [Here’s everything you need to know about AI-generated photos and why some experts are calling the technology “a step forward in a bad direction]( Nick Kozak/For the Toronto Star BUSINESS [Why are new hires “ghosting” small business owners?]( Ghosting is a familiar phenomenon in relationships, but it’s becoming more prevalent in the workplace. Employers say they are seeing more new hires who never show up or stop coming into work shortly after starting the job, reports Clarrie Feinstein. A recent report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business shows that ghosting, compounded with the labour shortage, is crippling small businesses, which already operate within tight budgets. It’s leading to spontaneous closures, shorter business hours, and delayed investments. [Here’s how businesses are battling with barely-there employees and the industries most affected by the new trend](. Steve Russell/Toronto Star EDUCATION [Students at York Memorial Collegiate Institute are fed up. Here’s why some say they are “scared to death”]( On Friday, hundreds of students staged a mass walkout to protest over-policing in the school, a teacher shortage, and what they are calling an unsafe learning environment. Students spoke candidly about frequent police presence, racism they’ve experienced from staff members, and the school’s washrooms lacking doors, toilet paper, and even soap dispensers. The issues date back to 2019, when a fire forced the school board to merge the old George Harvey Collegiate Institute with York Memorial. The move brought 1,300 students into a building that was in need of renovations and wasn’t ready to absorb them, reports Isabel Teotonio. [Here’s everything you need to know about Friday’s walkout, and what parents, the TDSB, and students are demanding](. POV Andrew Phillips: Danielle Smith is casting Justin Trudeau for a role in her re-election drama. [Here’s why he shouldn’t take the part](. Duane Bratt: Alberta Sovereignty Act vs. federal Emergencies Act. [A political scientist explains the difference between both](. Vinay Menon: Elon Musk’s brain chips could be a medical game-changer — [so why are they so terrifying]( Steven Parish: [Is Minister Steven Clark poorly informed about development charges? Or is he deliberately misleading Ontarians]( Edward Keenan: [Here’s how Toronto can make the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway into much-needed money-spinners](. Spoiler alert: it’s not from tolls. Rick Salutin: [Keeping politics out of sports may be as hopeless as unscrambling the eggs](. Shree Paradkar: [Is this standardized test for social workers necessary? Or simply unfair to marginalized groups]( The Star Editorial Board: [Keep Ontario Place as a public space](. GIFT THIS Pegasus and Crown It’s stocking stuffing season, and we’ve done the hard work of finding the perfect gift for everyone in your life. The Star’s seasonal book gift guides are out. Books editor Deborah Dundas has listed [26 books that would make good gifts for almost anyone on your gift list](. When you’re done looking at that, check out her [24 book gift ideas for the young readers in your life]( Thanks for reading. You can reach 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_157042), and I 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]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](