Pierre Poillievre defies his predecessors' fate

Plus, Toronto's mayoral race shows clear front runners, who are neck and neck [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning and happy International Waffle Day to those who celebrate. No waffle maker? No problem – I hear [we’ll be 3D printing our food soon anyways](. I’m filling in for Ashley this weekend. Here’s the latest. MUST READS The Canadian Press Fraud [Bombarded by scam calls? Why you might be targetted and what’s being done to fight back]( You’re well familiar with the call. A stranger with your area code masquerades as an officer from the Canada Revenue Agency, your phone provider, or a wealthy exotic prince, and they want your information. Scam calls led to an estimated $57 million in total losses in 2022, more than double that of 2017, reports Christine Dobby. Although these calls show no sign of slowing down, [here’s how we’ve made some largely invisible yet encouraging progress in recent years and what you can do to combat these scams yourself](. Supplied Star exclusive [Olivia Chow and Mark Saunders lead Toronto’s race for mayor. Where does your candidate stand?]( As Toronto’s mayoral race heats up, the two frontrunners, NDP MP Olivia Chow and former police chief Mark Saunders, are neck and neck in terms of support, reports David Rider. A survey of 1,009 Torontonians conducted for the Star found 24 per cent of respondents supported Chow while 22 per cent supported Saunders — a statistical tie since the difference is within the poll’s margin of error. Meanwhile, a third of respondents said they wouldn’t know who to vote for if the election was held the next day. [From name recognition to top-of-mind election issues, here’s more on the factors affecting the race this early on](. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press U.S. Relations [“Our destinies are intertwined”: Inside Joe Biden’s whirlwind Canadian summit]( Beyond the light-hearted Maple Leafs roast, U.S. President Joe Biden’s first official visit to Canada as president Friday produced concrete results, report Tonda MacCharles and Alex Ballingall. Most immediate: asylum seekers can no longer request refugee status at unofficial border crossings between the two nations. From accelerating Canada’s NORAD spending to co-operating with the U.S. on hotspots like Haiti, [here’s what you missed from the meeting that had Biden predicting a future of “shared prosperity” between the nations](. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press FEDERAL POLITICS [Pierre Poillievre is rising where his predecessors have fallen. What’s behind his success?]( When Conservative leader Pierre Poillievre addressed former Tory leaders, thinkers and strategists at the annual Canada Strong and Free conference this week, it was clear he was safe from the fate that befell former party leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole. To those in attendance, Poillievre was a child of the movement, one who knew the “secret handshakes,” writes Stephanie Levitz. [Here’s why Conservative insiders see Poillievre  capable of drawing in fresh blood while keeping the old guard sated and what it may mean for Canada’s future](. Adam Altman/AFP/Getty Images file photo AFGHANISTAN [In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, identifying as LGBTQ could mean torture or death]( After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, “homosexuality” has been made a crime punishable by death, reports Marjan Sadat. Members of the Afghan LGBTQ community share what it’s like to survive under the regime: “They tortured me in the most brutal way possible, they even burned the hair of my legs with a cigarette lighter,” said Jawid, who was accused of being gay at a Taliban checkpoint. One report documented some abuses clearly linked to the Taliban, but in many cases, the first threats came from family members, romantic partners, and neighbours. [Here’s what activists say about the violence and its effects on the country’s LGBTQ community](. POV Chantal Hebert: Think intelligence agencies always get it right? [Here’s why you should be skeptical](. Edward Keenan: [Stiff penalty for tweets are a harsh lesson for the man who would be Toronto’s mayor](. Navneet Alang: Google finally releases Bard...[how scared should we be]( David Olive: Following the SVB collapse, [a swift reality check of the Canadian system](. Rebecca Hicks: [A centralized booking system for specialists would revolutionize health care](. Kara Williams: “What if everyone’s younger than me... and fitter than me?” [How a fitness retreat to Thailand helped me accept my aging body](. HEAR THIS Neil Krug/Universal Music Lana Del Rey has done it again. In his review, Richie Assaly writes that the chronically heartbroken singer’s latest album, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” is a [sprawling 78-minute soundscape drifting between ruminations on family, love, death, and memory](. 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_173184). 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. 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