The dangers of a tightened U.S.-Canada border

Plus, a virtual reality body rub parlour offers an alternative to sex [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Toronto’s mayoral election, virtual reality sex and the implications of the Safe Third Country Agreement. DON’T MISS Lance McMillan/Toronto Star CITY HALL [Toronto’s mayoral election officially starts with a flurry of hopefuls registering at city hall]( More than two dozen candidates across the political spectrum signed up to run in the Toronto byelection on Monday. They took turns framing themselves in front of reporters as the only contender capable of addressing some of the city’s most pressing problems, including affordability, deteriorating city services and a string of violence that has left many residents shaken. [Ben Spurr paints a picture of the scenes that played out at city hall and the promises being made](. - By the numbers: By the end of Monday afternoon, 28 people had signed up to run. In the October municipal election, John Tory had placed first among 31 candidates. - Context: The hopefuls include current and former city councillors, activists, former police and a conspiracy theorist. [These are the key — and potential — candidates to keep an eye on ahead of voting day on June 26](. - Martin Regg Cohn: [Doug Ford’s meddling will haunt Toronto’s mayoral election](. Kais Latiri Technology [A VR body rub parlour offers an alternative to sex. Should we be worried about intimacy?]( In Edmonton, the business owner of Oh My Doll says the establishment merges virtual reality porn with silicone sex dolls as an alternative to sex workers. While the online world can often provide an escape, societal and technological forces may be changing intimacy, Omar Mosleh writes. Some tech experts believe virtual reality is poised to take over the entertainment industry of the future — which, combined with concerns that young men have less incentive to interact with peers, presents greater implications beyond a generation spent online. [Take a closer look at the business and what experts are saying about the future of VR](. - Watch for: It remains to be seen how young boys, already embracing the metaverse, will use the technology as they transition into adulthood. - More: Owner Kais Latiri said he doesn’t see many shy, young men at his business, but rather, couples and older men looking to explore their sexuality and technology. He said about 75 per cent of his clients are men and are mostly interested in the technology, adding that many are entrepreneurs, engineers and tech aficionados. John Woods/The Canadian Press IMmigration [He lost his fingers trying to cross the border. Now the new Canada-U.S. deal has him “terrified”]( Six years have passed since Seidu Mohammed fled Ghana (where he faced persecution as a bisexual man) and was refused asylum in the United States. He later made a dangerous journey to Canada, where he eventually became a citizen — but only after having all of his fingers amputated due to the frostbite he sustained on the way. Now, as Canada and the U.S. expand the Safe Third Country Agreement, Mohammed fears the worst. [Nicholas Keung reports on Mohammed’s trek and why the conditions for migrants seeking asylum could be even more dangerous now](. - Wait, what? The expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement in March means asylum seekers crossing anywhere on the land border will now be turned back to the other country within two weeks of arrival. - The aftermath: Less than a week after the border was tightened, eight bodies, including two children, [were found in the St. Lawrence River after attempting to cross into the U.S. by a small boat](. - More: “People who are persecuted for trying to escape discrimination, for trying to escape violence, for trying to escape rejection for being who they are, for trying to get to safety would be pushed further underground,” the NDP immigration critic said. “Human trafficking will increase as a result of this rule.” WHAT ELSE Amid a cop’s sexual assault conviction, the Ford government is being condemned for [delaying pay changes to police charged with serious crimes](. The Assembly of First Nations and Caring Society have announced a $23-billion settlement for First Nations children. [Here’s what’s next](. A senior Toronto cop has pleaded guilty [at the disciplinary tribunal he used to head](. Stephen Harper wasn’t obsessed with data. [Here’s why Justin Trudeau is](. Home buyers are back this spring, but listings are not — [and the competition is fierce](. Economists fear [Canadian inflation will start rising again]( as oil prices shoot up. Reeling from home-heating costs? [Meet the heat pump — an old idea that’s gaining new ground](. An intake form. A QR code. A surprising logo. [Is this a new link between a Montreal group helping newcomers and the Chinese Communist Party]( [Ontario’s secrecy around a new provincial park]( could easily go under the radar — but it shouldn’t. “The Oscar you received was given by mistake.” [Sarah Polley’s child played this April Fools’ joke on the Toronto filmmaker](. A surge in Dollarama sales is driving the [opening of up to 70 new stores across Canada next year](. This popular Japanese pizza chain has opened its [first international location in Toronto](. POV Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images [There’s something unsatisfying in the fact that, of all the investigations into Trump, the case to be noted in the history books is this one.]( CLOSE-UP CSA/NASA NASA: [After decades of dreaming, Jeremy Hansen is Canada’s next astronaut](. On Monday, the 47-year-old was named part of the four-person crew for the Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to travel to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. When it happens, he will have waited longer than any other Canadian astronaut for his maiden flight. 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_174729). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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