A cabinet shuffle that looks more like a front-bench makeover

Plus, Olivia Chow’s first motion as mayor shelters refugees and the start-stop B.C. port strike [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on refugees in Toronto receiving shelter, Trudeau’s imminent cabinet shuffle and the B.C. port workers’ strike. DON’T MISS Richard Lautens/Toronto Star Toronto City Hall [Olivia Chow gets unanimous support from Toronto council for new shelter spaces for refugees]( Toronto is immediately opening 150 new shelter spaces for refugee claimants, Ben Spurr reports. The announcement results from a motion by Olivia Chow during her first council meeting as mayor, which gained unanimous support. Chow credited members of Toronto’s Black communities, refugee agencies and city staff for assisting the asylum seekers from Uganda, Kenya and other African countries who had been left outside without shelter for weeks. [Here’s more on the housing plan and the support she received at city hall]( - More: As part of the plan, the city appeared to reverse [the controversial policy that referred asylum seekers to federal supports rather than Toronto’s at-capacity shelter system](. It had taken effect under Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie before Chow took office. - ICYMI: [The federal government on Tuesday committed an additional $97 million to Toronto](. - More: Here’s how Chow teamed up with [Doug Ford to demand more help from Ottawa](. Cole Burston/The Canadian Press federal politics [Insiders reveal the real goal behind Justin Trudeau’s imminent cabinet shuffle]( Changes to the cabinet expected in the next week will be less about changing policy and more about carrying out promises and ensuring the Liberals are ready for the election, Tonda MacCharles reports. Before the next campaign, the Liberal government needs to deliver on environment, climate action, housing and infrastructure, sources tell the Star. If one part of that is bringing forward effective communicators in key portfolios, another is keeping the right people in the right jobs. [Here’s who is likely to stay and who could go](. - Go deeper: The Liberals still have a governing deal with the New Democrats to stay in power until at least June 2025 in exchange for progress on NDP priorities, but an election in 2024 hasn’t been ruled out. - More: “You also want to make some change to give other people opportunities. We’ve got an extremely talented caucus,” said veteran Liberal MP Judy Sgro. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press developing [B.C. port workers are backing down on a new strike after starting — and stopping — the surprise job action]( Just hours after announcing they would go on strike again by Saturday, the union representing port workers in B.C. ditched its plans without explanation on Wednesday. The upcoming second strike had been declared “illegal,” was then paused, and then finally cancelled. Meanwhile, the federal government was refusing to rule out controversial back-to-work legislation, Alex Ballingall, Jeremy Nuttall and Raisa Patel report. [What comes next]( - Context: A 13-day strike began on July 1, frustrating business groups and premiers across the country. While both sides last week appeared to accept a deal, the union later said the strike was back on because the deal would not protect jobs or address “cost of living issues.” - The aftermath: On Wednesday, the federal government signalled that it would not tolerate more closures of ports. Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh urged the Liberals not to “interfere” with talks between the two sides. WHAT ELSE During record-setting heat waves, [this may be the real “silent killer]( The compostable bag controversy is only the latest sign that [Alberta will challenge the federal government on the single-use plastic ban](. Social isolation can be dangerous. [And “the epidemic of loneliness” is especially hard for older men](. Toronto condo rents have soared to an average of nearly $3,000 a month. [Here’s what “micro” apartments and other small units are going for](. One in five adults 65 or older experience loneliness. [Here’s why that has older immigrants struggling with a “public health emergency]( This 24-year-old died in a violent carjacking. [But Gurvinder Nath had come to the GTA with “big dreams]( TDSB said it fixed a botched admissions lottery, but parents weren’t so sure. [Now, both sides have ended up in court — and one has to pay](. [Police say this GTA “Crypto King” was kidnapped at gunpoint]( about four months after his investors, out millions, warned “someone will harm him.” The families of [Canadian Armed Forces members killed in a 2020 helicopter crash are suing the manufacturer](. Here’s why country singer [Jason Aldean is facing backlash over a music video that critics say is racist and “pro-lynching]( Here’s what you need to know about skiplagging, [the money-saving travel hack that airlines loathe](. As part of a pilot program that starts next month, [drinking will be legal in 27 Toronto parks](. POV SOPA Images/Getty Images [Why Christine Sinclair has unfinished business at her sixth World Cup](. CLOSE-UP Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star SCARBOROUGH: Krissan Veerasingam, at Kennedy Station, is highlighting places to eat along the Scarborough RT. Before the transit line closes this year, [the Star visited three stops to taste what it has to offer](. 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_192064). 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. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](