100 days in, Chow approaches choppier waters

Plus, the increasingly harsh world of Israel’s Bedouins, why women are quitting dating, and the strong allure of GICs [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. The fourth Sunday in October is National Mother-in-Law Day; insert a hacky joke here at your own peril. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Steve Russell/Toronto Star City Hall [Olivia Chow has eased her detractors’ fears but there are choppy waters ahead]( Even with a few missteps, Olivia Chow’s first 100 days as Toronto’s mayor have generally been smooth sailing. With a focus on building consensus, right-leaning council stalwarts who publicly resisted Chow’s mayoral run have sung her praises. Doug Ford has become an ally of sorts, too, David Rider and Ben Spurr report. [Still, Chow’s toughest challenges are on the horizon](. Nick Lachance/Toronto Star Business [Stricter rules have brought the short-term rental debate to cottage country]( With some municipalities cracking down on short-term rentals, corners of Ontario’s usually peaceful cottage country have devolved into bitter feuds. Bylaws can change region to region, but they include licensing fees, caps on the number of visitors, and noise pollution limits, Clarrie Feinstein reports. Advocates say they keep communities safe and affordable. [Others allege it’s nothing more than a witch hunt](. Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star sports [It’s the final chapter for Christine Sinclair, one of Canada’s greatest athletes ever]( Following a cryptic social media post on Thursday, Christine Sinclair confirmed she will retire from national team duty following a series of matches this year, then hang up her cleats for good after her next pro season with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. The 40-year-old is a three-time Olympic medalist and has scored more international goals than any person in soccer history. [As Sinclair’s curtain call commences, Bruce Arthur salutes Canada’s quiet legend](. Marco Chown Oved/Toronto Star israel-hamas war [Within Israel but away from defence measures, the Bedouin people’s tough reality becomes even harsher]( Whatever sense of security Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defence system provides, the Bedouin people of the Negev Desert do not experience it. Instead, in the event of a Hamas rocket attack, the Muslim, nomadic locals huddle in large concrete sewer pipes, Marco Chown Oved reports. Despite their geographic isolation from broader Israeli society, the Bedouins have also suffered casualties at the hands of Hamas — [but advocates say Israel’s government has done little to protect these people, too](. Pexels Relationships [Turned off by the “dumpster fire,” women say they’re done with dating]( Doom-scrolling will eventually lead you to the “Why I Quit Dating” corner of Instagram and TikTok. Sarah Laing notes the women in these videos list a number of reasons for their self-imposed romantic exiles — usually boiling down to the quality of the dating pool or issues with modern dating culture. If you’re stuck in a dating rut yourself, [here’s how the experts say you could reignite your quest for love](. UP CLOSE R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star Still extremely early in his NHL career, Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard is seemingly already changing the way hockey is played, Dave Poulin writes. Like the NFL’s Patrick Mahomes and the NBA’s Steph Curry, [the 18-year-old has learned the X-factor of omnipresence](. INVEST IN THIS Dreamstime If there’s a silver lining to Canada’s high-interest-rate crunch, it’s that boring old fixed-income investments are back in style, Srivindhya Kolluru writes. With some institutions paying out as high as 5.75 per cent for one-year guaranteed income certificates, [the case for bonds and GICs is increasingly scintillating](. 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_202298), and Manuela will see you back here Monday. 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]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](