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Plus, PM claims racism behind allegations of Chinese interference and why millennials are buying homes [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on allegations of foreign political interference, immigration backlogs and the insecurity and cost of renting. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Nathan Denette federal politics [Justin Trudeau blames racism for allegations China helped a Liberal MP get elected]( Amid a prolonged chill in relations with Beijing, concerns about China’s authoritarian regime trying to influence Canadian politics have increased. But the latest reports that Han Dong, a backbench Liberal MP for Don Valley North, got election help from China boil down to racism, the prime minister argued. “One of the things we’ve seen unfortunately over the past years is a rise in anti-Asian racism linked to the pandemic, and concerns being arisen around people’s loyalties,” Trudeau said. [Alex Ballingall reports on the claims and Trudeau’s defence](. - More: Trudeau threw his support behind a parliamentary committee probe of foreign interference, but stopped short of committing to an independent public inquiry into the matter, despite calls from NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and others. - Meanwhile: Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are taking a TikTok hiatus after the [Liberal government banned the Chinese-owned app over cybersecurity concerns](. - ICYMI: The Globe and Mail reported on a top-secret CSIS dossier saying Beijing took steps to help elect the Liberals in 2021. The Star reported last week that [Conservatives considered going public with interference concerns before ultimately deciding against it](. Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini immigration [A Canadian citizenship oath could soon be just a scroll and click away]( In an attempt to reduce processing times and backlogs, immigration officials are proposing that the citizenship process be carried out online, Nicholas Keung reports. The “self-administration” of oath-taking would allow new citizens to sign a written attestation without a witness, although applicants would still have the option to do it before a citizenship judge, the immigration department told the Star Monday. Would the drastic change to a decades-old ritual for newcomers dilute the meaning of Canadian citizenship? [Here’s what’s behind the plan and the criticism it’s receiving](. - By the numbers: The move, which is part of a push towards modernization and digitalization, is expected to reduce processing times by three to 21 months, according to the plan published over the weekend. - More: Currently, in-person ceremonies are mainly scheduled on weekdays, during work hours. “Many clients have to take time off work to attend citizenship ceremonies, and this time off is not necessarily paid by employers,” the immigration department said in the Canada Gazette. - Watch for: The public has 30 days to comment and provide feedback to the proposed regulatory change. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star housing [They didn’t dream of owning a home, renting drove them to it]( Despite an expensive market, historic interest rate hikes, inflation and “the great Canadian dream” of a house with a white picket fence being nowhere in sight, many young families and millennials are entering the housing market to escape the precarity and cost of renting. “It’s a privilege not everyone can afford,” one new homeowner said, but even those who remain apprehensive of homeownership are seeing it as the lesser of two evils in today’s market, Dhriti Gupta reports. [Take a look at the costs and risks these young people are taking on](. - By the numbers: According to one expert, a homebuyer in the mid-1970s would have spent around $250,000 in today’s currency on a home in Toronto with a salary of around $55,000 — making the average price of a house about four and a half times the typical salary. - More numbers: Today, homes in Toronto cost just over $1 million on average, and people are making $54,000. “The ratio is more like 20 to one,” they said. - Go deeper: Even as home prices in the GTA have dropped compared to 2022’s market peak, [rentals in southern Ontario have increased by double-digit percentages](. WHAT ELSE Justin Trudeau says he’s [watching closely as Doug Ford promotes privatized medical services](. Misinformation is “inherently destructive” — [Ottawa is being tasked with studying how social media perpetuates it](. From 20 months to 10? A city report recommends a $40-million sole-source contract to [cut the time shuttle buses will be needed on Queen Street](. The TTC is inviting a “death spiral” with its service cuts. [Why aren’t those at city hall fighting to protect the public transit service?]( In an exclusive story with the Star, former councillor [Ana Bailão says she’s “strongly” considering a run for Toronto mayor](. Thousands enter Canada at Roxham Road. [Quebec’s claims that it lacks money and capacity to manage it deserve little sympathy](. Beer sales hit an all-time low as alcohol sales see the largest drop in a decade. [Here’s what a new report reveals about our alcohol purchasing habits](. Polish police are denying Julia Wendell’s claim that she is missing child Madeleine McCann. [Here’s what we know about the evidence](. A man suffered serious injuries after he was [shot by a Toronto officer in North York](. The Toronto Star is dropping the Dilbert comic after its [creator’s anti-Black rant](. ICYMI Lance McMillan/The Star [Why did a sought-after subsidized apartment sit frozen in time for nearly a year? The death of its last resident highlights a growing problem across Ontario.]( CLOSE-UP Alonzo Adams/AP Photo NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Damaged homes are pictured Monday after rare, severe storms and tornadoes moved through the state overnight. Extreme weather is hitting the U.S. from coast to coast. [Take a look at the threats across the country](. 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_169132). 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. 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