Morning Brew: July 25th, 2008

Photo: "Love Birds" by chewie007, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Your Toronto morning news roundup for Friday July 25th, 2008:

The Spadina subway extension to York University is finally in sight. Two full years after the plan was unveiled, the federal government has at last announced that they're ready to pay their $700million share. Expect Harper to put on a yellow construction hat, hold a shovel, and talk about how Toronto, even though it's not gushing with oil, is also important to the financial success of the nation.

The iconic and historic CHUM building on Yonge St. near St.Clair is the latest site to be scooped up for development, and within a short time will likely be another swanky condominium. Demand dictates development, so this must be the Toronto the people want, right?

Workers at several Toronto cemeteries are on strike and picketing because the city-wide ban of pesticides doesn't apply to their work place. While workers are exposed to death on a daily basis, they don't want to be exposed to harmful chemicals that could lead to their own deaths. Striking workers are being respectful by vowing to not interfere with funerals, and we won't hear anyone chanting "hell no, we won't go!" just yet.

The OPP has stated that they've exercised their powers to do emergency wiretapping without judicial clearance only three times since 2002. Outside of the First Nations protests last year, it isn't clear what the other two instances are, but we're open to the taking of serious and comical guesses in the comments today.

Soccer fans in Toronto, who packed BMO Field for yesterday's MLS All-Star game, brought their loudest booing voices with them, and let out a stunning and embarrassing group booing during the American national anthem. Is this supposed to demonstrate our love for Canada, our disdain for the USA, or that one of the side-effects of Beckham Fever is spontaneous impoliteness?

And a Toronto police officer has been charged after he allegedly tried to have an illegal gun barrel shipped here via an Internet purchase. Kudos to the Canadian border guard for the find.