TVO.org daily: Tuesday, June 30

Good morning, Ontario

Here's what we're following

COVID-19 cases surge in Windsor-Essex

One farm in southwestern Ontario was responsible for 175 of the province’s 257 COVID-19 cases reported yesterday. The farm employs about 450 people. “We have a great team out there and we're going to do everything in our power to resolve these cases as soon as possible,” said Premier Doug Ford.

Meanwhile, federal officials named four regions that are still considered virus hotspots and two are in Ontario: Windsor-Essex and Peel.

Task force to review tow-truck industry

A provincial task force will examine violence and corruption plaguing the GTA’s tow-truck industry. Police in Toronto and York Region have already laid almost 200 charges related to towing operations, including arson, attempted murder, and first-degree murder. “To all the bad actors out there, my message is very clear: the party’s over, we’re coming for you, we’ll catch you and we’ll lock you up,” said Premier Ford.

Ford says he won’t stop efforts to defund police

The premier says the province won’t dissuade municipalities from cutting police funding. Toronto city council is debating police reforms this week, including a proposed 10 per cent budget cut. “We’d never step in,” Ford said. “It’s up to each municipality to make the decision.” He said he doesn’t think funding cuts are the answer to instances of police brutality and racism, adding, “98 per cent of the police are great police officers.”

TVO.org publishing regional updates

We regularly publish a collection of news items from across the province about the pandemic. Please visit TVO.org for the latest. Here is Monday’s edition.

On Docs: #onpoli and The Art of the Possible

The #onpoli podcast is taking a week off but Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath make a guest appearance on On Docs for TVO’s first podcast crossover episode. They discuss the landmark 1978 political documentary The Art of the Possible with host Colin Ellis.

Amy

British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse established herself as a musical force in the early 2000s. A pop star with soul — often described as reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday — she was a rare talent whose appeal crossed cultural and demographic boundaries. In this documentary, learn about the woman behind the headlines — and about the inner demons that led to her death at just 27.

How Indigenous beading is a lifeline for this artist

Brit Ellis of Toronto's Blu Hummingbird Beadwork shares her contemporary take on the traditional art form of beading and explains how it has provided her with a cultural connection that has changed her life.

Quarantine and Answer: Sarah Slean

TVO is catching up with prominent Ontarians to discuss their life during the pandemic. In this instalment, Sarah Slean discusses a musician’s life without live performances.

The Victorian-era abortion trial that rocked Toronto

In 1879, Emily Stowe was criminally charged with administering poisons to induce a miscarriage. Crime writer Nate Hendley describes how — a century before the Supreme Court of Canada grappled with the issue of abortion legislation — the courtroom battle that followed was marked by sexism, hypocrisy, and gross incompetence.

Why the government should spend its summer thinking about September

Any widespread restart of the economy depends on schools reopening. Right now, argues columnist Matt Gurney, Ontario doesn’t really have a plan.

8 p.m. — The Agenda: A Canadian music icon’s recovery

Séan McCann is a founding member of Great Big Sea with a deep, dark secret — and it drove him to a lifestyle filled with partying and alcohol. After he married Andrea Aragon and became a father, he was often absent from family life. In One Good Reason: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery, Music and Love, the couple share their healing journey.

8:30 p.m. — Political Blind Date: Subways

This episode brings together Toronto city councillors Jim Karygiannis and Anthony Perruzza to discuss how to approach the politically fraught issue of building new subways.