TVO.org daily: Saturday, June 27

New COVID-19 cases dip to lowest in months

Ontario reported 111 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, the lowest single-day total since March 25. “While very welcome news, we shouldn’t draw too many conclusions from one day of data,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said. “Rather, we’ll continue to keep a close eye on what is hopefully the continuation of our downward trend.”

Kingston outbreak tied to nail salon

Kingston introduced new health measures after 18 cases of COVID-19 were connected to a nail salon in the city. Mayor Bryan Patterson announced masks would now be mandatory in indoor settings.  “This rise in cases was not unexpected. But as a community, we can do better,” he said.
 
Premier Doug Ford said the Kingston outbreak does not mean the province should stall its reopening plan, and said mandating mask use province-wide is not an option. “We just can't enforce it. That's the problem here,” he said. Ford encouraged Ontarians to wear a mask in public and added that local health units can introduce their own orders.

Toronto police officer guilty in beating of Dafonte Miller

An Ontario Superior Court judge found a Toronto police constable guilty of assaulting Dafonte Miller, a young Black man, in 2016. Michael Theriault, who was off-duty at the time of the assault, was found not guilty of aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. His brother, Christian, was also charged but found not guilty on all counts. “While I am disappointed that both Michael and Christian Theriault were not convicted of all charges, I am grateful that Justice [Joseph] Di Luca found Michael guilty of assaulting me,” Miller said in a statement. “I am also grateful that the judge recognized what ‘probably’ happened was much worse.” Miller lost an eye in the incident.

TVO.org publishing regional updates

Every weekday, we will publish a collection of news items from across the province about the pandemic. Please visit TVO.org for the latest. Here is Friday’s edition.

The Agenda: The ‘Common Sense Revolution’

Twenty-five years after Mike Harris became Ontario’s premier, journalists Christina Blizzard and Martin Regg Cohn join ­The Agenda to discuss the legacy of his “Common Sense Revolution.”

The Beginning and the End of the Universe

How will the universe end? Theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili explores this existential question, and the answer is far stranger than he imagined.

Quarantine and Answer: Drew Hayden Taylor

TVO is catching up with prominent Ontarians to learn about their experience during the pandemic. In this instalment, author and playwright Drew Hayden Taylor checks in from his home in Curve Lake First Nation.

How a food-bank controversy highlights issues with the system

Is Ontario having a mission-accomplished moment with COVID-19?

As of Friday, fewer than 2,000 Ontarians were confirmed to be actively infected with COVID-19 — down 50 per cent from June 1.  What comes next? Columnist John Michael McGrath speaks to leading physicians to find out.  

Saturday, 9 p.m. — I Am Not Your Negro

In this Academy Award-nominated documentary, filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions Remember This House, the book James Baldwin never finished. It was meant to be a personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of Baldwin’s close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. The result is a radical examination of race in America.

Sunday, 10 p.m. — Migrant Dreams

Award-winning director Min Sook Lee follows migrant workers who come to Ontario greenhouses. Many are women, recruited by brokers who illegally charge fees upwards of $7,000 — and greenhouse owners are complicit in the scheme. This film examines the lives of strong, vibrant women who resist systemic oppression and exploitation.