Morning Brew: Ford lands in Chicago, TTC to pause for killed worker, an Olympic day pass, a David Beckham statue, City Hall gets a play area, and profiting on tokens

Rob Ford touched down in Chicago yesterday to talk "jobs, jobs, jobs" with his American counterpart Rahm Emanuel and a delegation of business leaders from both cities. Ford toured a bean-shaped sculpture known as the Cloud Gate, handed out business cards, and confused Detroit's close neighbour Windsor with Winnipeg in conversation with some locals.

Toronto media continued to question Ford about his alleged use of city resources to help coach a high school football team. The mayor's response: "Go home, go where you came from, then. Holy smokes ... how does this create jobs?" reports the National Post. He also suggested Star reporter David Rider is stalking him. Today Ford will meet Rahm Emanuel to renew the sister city agreement between Chicago and Toronto.

The entire TTC network of busses, streetcars, and subways will stop for a minute today at 10 a.m. as a mark of respect for Peter Pavlovski, a transit worker killed by a service train last Friday. Pavloski's funeral takes place later today.

The Jarvis Street bike lanes look all but condemned to be torn up and replaced with a fifth, reversible centre lane. Yesterday, councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong claimed the bike lanes weren't recommended in a 2009 environmental assessment (they were) but says he supports the extra lane (which wasn't.) You know what this means? Yep, a comedy Tumblr called "Denzil Minnan-Wrongs."

In celebration of Friday's Olympic Heroes Parade from Bay Street to Maple Leaf Square near the ACC, the new, fun TTC is offering a special day pass between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for $5. More things like this please, oh transit provider.

Hey, is that an lanky statue of a scantily clad David Beckham at the Eaton Centre? Why yes, yes it is.

An adult (not that kind of adult) toy box is going to be at City Hall for the next few days, allowing the young at heart to play with a TV-style green screen, toys, Lego, and Play-Doh. Insert wise-crack about city staff and child-like behaviour here. Here's a picture of councillor Adam Vaughan having a go [via @Goldsbie].

Finally, it turns out unauthorized TTC fare dealers selling tokens and passes for profit isn't illegal or within the jurisdiction of Toronto's transit authority. Recent debate about the legality of the practice generated debate online recently. The TTC does, however, frown upon its authorized dealers bumping up the price to turn a profit.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

Star reporter David Rider recounts his unusual exchange with Rob Ford in Chicago yesterday while questioning the mayor on the alleged use of a city car by a staffer to drive to football practice.

Follow @dmrider

David Rider
@dmrider

After many years of political reporting, this is the first time a mayor has asked me: "Are you going to be sleeping with me tonight?"

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33 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

IN OTHER NEWS:

• Police hunt predator who broke into at least six Etobicoke homes [Globe and Mail]
• Blue Jays suspend Yunel Escobar 3 games for anti-gay slur [CBC]
• $180 art history text book with no art has blank spaces where the pictures should be [National Post]
• 'Gas and dash' death spurs bid to better protect gas station workers [Globe and Mail]
• Why the Toronto Underground Cinema really closed [The Grid]

Photo: "Untitled" by Stephen Sokolov in the blogTO Flickr pool.